Kismet
by escapewithstories
Summary: After their initial chance meeting, Sharon and Andy find themselves encountering each other more and more often. Are they destined to be more to each other, or just ships that pass in the night. This story is completely AU, though there will be nods to the show throughout.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back with another story! It is completely AU. I plan on working in as many original characters as I can, but they may or may not have the same profession. :D I hope you all enjoy.**

 **A HUGE THANKS to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta and support. You are truly amazing.**

 **Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. Any mistakes made, are mistakes of my own.**

CHAPTER ONE

Andy glanced at his wristwatch for the third time in the last two minutes. He was sitting in the front lobby area of the dance studio. It almost resembled a waiting room, but more inviting, less clinical. Instead of the typical industrial fabric-covered chairs, there were plush couches and armchairs. There was a coffee and other side tables adorned with ballet magazines. Andy had flipped through most of them in the past hour and thirty-seven minutes he had been sitting there. The boys' lesson was supposed to conclude more than five minutes ago.

Nicole had called last minute asking if he didn't mind taking the boys for the night. She and Dean had an important dinner meeting and their usual sitter was unavailable. Andy didn't mind really. He didn't have any plans for the evening other than watching ESPN. He had grown quite fond of the boys over the last year. They recently started calling him Grandpa and when they visited, Jake and Ethan seemed to like helping him in the kitchen. Andy was only pleased to share his passion for cooking with anyone who showed interest. He just couldn't say that he shared the same passion for ballet that the boys seemed to have.

However, the more he watched, the more he realized that his oldest grandson was more interested in the ballet instructor, Miss Emily. The boy had talked non-stop about her on the way over.

 _"Miss Emily is our new instructor. She offers private lessons in addition to our class. She moved back to California after living in New York for a few years. She's a really good dancer. She has the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker this year, which is a really important part. She's a really good dancer."_

Andy wanted to point out that he had already mentioned how good she was at dancing, but didn't want to embarrass the boy. Jake was seven and seemed to be infatuated with his first crush. Andy chuckled to himself at the thought.

He was about to glance at his watch again when he heard a commotion coming from the door. When he looked up, the sunlight from outside reflected off her vibrant auburn hair. It was striking. He moved his eyes down to take in the rest of her and was immediately drawn to her legs. Andy always appreciated a nice pair of legs, and this woman's were memorable. The pencil skirt she was wearing mostly covered them, but if he had to bet, they went on for miles beneath that skirt. She had a pair of nude heels on that accentuated her toned calf muscles. When he finally moved on from her legs, he realized she was struggling to get through the door. He almost felt like an ass for ogling her instead jumping up to help her sooner. Almost.

She had her phone pinned between her ear and her shoulder and her hands were full with a bag of take-out in one, and a drink carrier in the other, along with her purse thrown over her shoulder. From the sound of it, she was not having a pleasant conversation. She let out a frustrated growl. "James, you promised me that you would be able to cater the charity event for me. That nothing would prevent you from helping out."

Her purse had slipped from her shoulder, which caused her to lose her grip on the drink carrier. Andy shot up from the chair and crossed the room to assist her. With one hand he grabbed the drinks before they could tip over and with the other he pushed the door open wider. His actions startled her and she ended up dropping her phone. He was not being as helpful as he had hoped.

"Oh, you scared me! I'm sorry." It was then that she looked up at him. There was a nice pink flush to her cheeks. Andy didn't know if it was from embarrassment or the exertion of getting through the door. He rather liked it. She dazzled him with a wide smile that lit up her face even more. She really was stunning. He was gawking again and had to physically shake himself out of his stupor as she continued rambling. "I was not expecting anyone to be here. Emily said she didn't have any lessons. I'm sorry for making such a racket. Thank you so much for your help. If...," Before she finished her thought she seemed to realize she was just in the middle of a call before she dropped her phone. "Oh!" She bent forward and hastily picked it up, "James, I'm gonna have to call you back." She pulled the phone away from her ear and realized she had it upside down. "James..."

Andy had to turn away before he burst out laughing; a small chuckle still escaped him though. This lady was a hot mess. He walked back over to the seating area and placed the drinks on the table as she finished her phone call. He had to smirk to himself when he saw the logo on the cups. It was from his restaurant, and if he wasn't mistaken, the cups contained their signature Bellini Tea.

She let out a long sigh as she dropped her phone in her purse. Andy watched as she appeared to take a moment to collect herself before looking up to apologize again. "I am truly sorry. I'm usually not so all over the place. That phone call has me flustered. Emily told me she didn't have any lessons this evening. Just solo practice. I was not expecting anyone to be here and didn't think I would disturb anyone. Thankfully you were here. If you had not interceded, I would've spilled tea everywhere. Thank you again for your help."

Andy lightly chuckled. She was rambling again and he found it endearing. "My pleasure. It is my understanding that the lesson was very last minute since I was only informed when I picked my grandsons up. The boys wanted a little more solo practice before dress rehearsal and the show."

"My daughter is notorious for changing plans last minute and not telling anyone. This is not the first time, and won't be the last time, that I have arrived at a scheduled place of meeting and she had changed her plans on me. I choose to admire her free-spirit rather than be endlessly frustrated."

It was then that she finally took the time to admire her helper. She found him to be quite handsome. He had salt and pepper hair, more salt than pepper, but it gave him a very distinguished look. And that smile of his. It lit up his entire face, especially his eyes. It was infectious. Then she got to the rest of him and she couldn't help but think it was a shame such a good looking man had no sense of style.

Andy shrugged his shoulders. "I understand. My daughter is the same way, except less of the free-spirit and more of the juggling-too-many-things-at-once." He found himself begrudging her of that fact at the moment when he noticed the pretty lady looking him over. He was still wearing his striped chef pants with a white undershirt and a jean jacket thrown over it. He looked quite ridiculous. He didn't give it a second thought when Nicole had called needing his assistance. After leaving work, he had expected to get the boys and head to his house. When he arrived, Nicole had informed him of the lesson. If he had known sooner, he would've taken the time to change.

"Those are some interesting pants." He realized she hadn't intended to vocalize that thought when her eyes widened and a blush formed on her cheeks. He couldn't help but chuckle. She was something else.

"I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I mean they are nice. They look...," she paused as she tried to figure out the least insulting word and inwardly groaned when the only thing that came to mind was, "...comfortable." She quickly added, "I don't think I've seen any like them before."

He chuckled. There she went with the cute rambling. "It's really okay. I get it. Who would wear something like this, right? In all fairness, I was expecting to go home after work, not here." Before she could ask where he worked, he answered as if he knew that would be her next question. "I'm a chef and these are part of the standard uniform. Well, one of the styles. My kids got me these for Christmas one year." He then gave her a wink, "And yes, they are quite comfortable."

She felt the blush rise up in her cheeks. She had no idea what made her say that. She was flustered, and now not only from the phone call. His smile seriously was disarming. "I didn't realize that chefs actually wore such things outside of the movies."

He snorted. He had been told that many times. "Well, I didn't initially, but one time someone asked to speak with the chef and I was only wearing a grungy t-shirt and pants. Not even my apron could disguise how hideous they were. The woman looked like she wanted to change her mind about extending her compliments because my clothing had her second guessing what was in the food. From then on I've made sure to wear something more presentable. I do have some "normal" pants, but I have come to notice patrons happen to like the baggy striped ones most." He gave her another wink, "It must be the whole movie experience thing."

She wasn't sure if her cheeks could get any redder. He liked making her blush. "Do you even wear the funny hat?"

His look quickly turned serious, "No. I tried that once and I was the butt of all the jokes from the kitchen staff for a month. I will never wear the hat again. Just pants, coat, and apron."

"That's a shame. I would really like to see the full effect, hat and all. So, for which restaurant do you execute your culinary skills?"

Andy's smile widened. She made it sound like he was competing for Master Chef. "Oddly enough...," He answered by way of gesturing towards the bag she was holding.

Sharon looked to where he was motioning. She had almost forgotten that she had picked up Emily's and her dinner. The same dinner that Emily requested, and then apparently forgot about. "You're kidding! You're the chef at _Sicilia_?" He gave her one of the smiles that she couldn't help but reciprocate and nodded. "I eat there more often than I'd like to admit because it's right around the corner from my gallery. I'm surprised I haven't seen you before."

Andy shrugged. "I mainly stay in the back. I leave the front to my sister."

"Is she the lovely lady that's always attending to the wine shop? I was very pleased when that was added on. I have been known to buy a bottle every now and then."

Andy scoffed. "I don't know that I'd call her lovely, but yea, that would be her. When I bought the place from her, I decided to remodel and expand. That's when we decided to open the wine shop. We had many customers buying by the bottle since we import it from Italy. We also support the local wineries." He shrugged his shoulders, "Figured we would try it out, and if the wine didn't sell, we could always turn the area into more seating."

Sharon's eyes widened. "You own the place and you're the chef? How do you find the time? I know how busy owning your own business can be."

Andy chuckled, "Yea, I don't enjoy the business aspects of it. Other than the nightly deposit, I'm mostly in the kitchen, though I do two other chefs and we rotate the schedule." With a smirk he added, "Plus, I was able to hire an accountant with the extra income from the wine shop."

Sharon giggled, "The wine is beneficial in more ways than one. It was a wise decision to add it on."

He waved off her compliment. "I honestly have nothing to do with it. That's all my sister. It was her idea to put it in when we expanded. So you said the restaurant is around the corner from your gallery?"

She nodded, "Yes. _Roslin Studio and Art Gallery_. "

He tapped the tip of his chin with his finger as he tried to recall why that sounded familiar. "I think I got a flyer or something recently promoting a fundraiser you're doing in a couple of months."

Andy enjoyed the way she beamed at the mention of the fundraiser. "Yes. We're trying to get the word out early so hopefully we have a good turnout. I have asked several known local artists and students from the art schools in the area to donate pieces for silent auction. All proceeds will go to a local youth shelter Covenant House."

Andy knew exactly which shelter she spoke of. He had donated to them on multiple occasions. "That's very admirable."

She blushed again and then shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know about that. I have the space and it's a cause that has become very dear to my heart."

Before Andy could respond, the two were interrupted by door to the practice room being flung open and the youngest, Ethan, loudly announcing, "Alright Grandpa, lets go. You promised we could make pizza."

"E, not so loud. We will still make pizza, but only if you behave on the way home." He looked up to see the oldest walking through the door with the instructor. "Come on, Jake. Your brother thinks his stomach is going to eat itself. Let's get back to my place so we can make that pizza I promised you."

"I'm so sorry, I lost track of time and didn't realize the lesson went long," Emily gushed.

Sharon gave Andy a look that said, _"See what I have to deal with?"_

Andy chuckled quietly. "It's not a problem really." He thanked Emily as Ethan impatiently grabbed his hand to lead him toward the door. He turned to say goodbye to Sharon, but her daughter was already drawing her attention.

Emily threw her arms around her mother in a tight embrace. "Hey, mom. You're early. And you brought food! Oh wait. We had dinner plans. Sorry, I forgot. You're the best. By the way, Dad called me looking for you..."

She gave him an apologetic smile and small wave from behind Emily's back. As his grandson dragged him out the door, Sharon realized she didn't even get his name. It was a shame really. He seemed to have a good sense of humor and he was really nice to look at. Her daughter interrupted Sharon's reminiscing. "Mom. Mom, did you hear me? I said Dad called."

"Yes, yes. I heard you. He called me, too. Don't worry about it, Em. Your father is just... being Jack. I don't think he will be looking for me again anytime soon." She didn't want to tell her daughter that he was drunk and had stopped by the condo the previous night trying to give her money (that he most likely won gambling, despite his claims that it was a bonus from a case) to 'compensate for all the years he was gone and didn't contribute.' He was calling today to apologize for his behavior and the unfortunate condition he was in during his visit. She refused to have further contact with him. Sharon quickly changed the subject, "So how was your day?"

Outside, as Andy got the boys and their bags loaded into his car, a little of his good mood had deflated. He never even got to ask the pretty lady for her name or number. It was probably for the best. He would have only embarrassed himself when she turned him down. He didn't see a ring, but that didn't mean anything. He heard her daughter mentioning the husband trying to get a hold of her. It was a shame really. She was the first woman he had any interest in recently, and it appeared she was married. That was just his luck. He probably wouldn't be seeing her again anyways to find out. She had mentioned going to the restaurant for years and he never once saw her. He definitely would've remembered that smile and those eyes that could light up a room. Andy shook his head to clear his mind and prevent his thoughts from lingering on her. He started the car and put it in reverse. As he looked back, he smiled to himself and listened to the boys talk animatedly about the lesson. He needed to focus on them. Pining after the woman whose name he didn't even know wouldn't do him any good.

-TBC-

 **AN: Please let me know what you think! I love reading your feedback in the reviews. Chapter 2 is already in the works and I hope to post is soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all so much for the kind reviews! They truly appreciate the encouragement. I'm so glad you liked the first chapter. I hope I don't disappoint going forward.**

 **Again, thank you to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta. All mistakes are still my own.**

CHAPTER TWO

The ballet had just ended and Andy was waiting in the lobby for Nicole and Dean to get the boys from the back. He actually enjoyed the show, and not merely due to the fact that his grandsons had a part in it. The whole production was astounding. He was thinking about this when he caught sight of her. It was her auburn hair that had drawn his attention as she was making her way through the crowd. He noted the moment she caught sight of him as well. A huge smile spread across her face and she changed direction to head towards him. He would be lying if that smile and the fact that she was headed his way didn't cause an increase in his heart rate. No matter how hard he tried, he was unsuccessful in getting her out of his mind. He even went as far as to look up her gallery's website. It was there that he had come across her name.

When she stopped in front of him, he just continued grinning stupidly at her. He realized he could've met her halfway when she began making her way toward him. Instead he just stood there grinning like a fool. It was as he internally berated himself that she broke the silence. "Hello, stranger."

"Hello. It's very good to see you again." And it really was. She looked breathtaking. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders and the dress she wore accentuated her frame nicely. It was conservative lace piece with three-quarter sleeves and a high neckline, but he really couldn't find fault in it. She clearly had great style.

"I'm Sharon. Sharon Raydor." She held her hand out to properly introduce herself.

It was on the tip of his tongue to say, 'I know,' but he realized he would have to explain that he looked her up and that may make him sound like a stalker. So he responded with a simple, "Andy Flynn," when he grasped her hand. He liked the feel of her hand in his and was reluctant to let go. He really needed to get a grip. He was seriously thinking and acting like a first-rate creeper.

"I'm sorry. I should've introduced myself properly at the dance studio last week, but I was being dragged out the door. My grandsons may be little, but they are vicious when they're hungry. I was in fear from my life you see."

She almost snorted when she laughed, but was able to maintain it. "It's okay. I remember what they're like at that age. I can't say my grown daughter is any better. She practically tackled me for the take-out. She might be slight in build, but she's more reminiscent of a linebacker than a ballerina when food is involved. Especially after a full day of dancing."

Andy threw his head back in laughter. She really had a good sense of humor and it seemed she knew football. He idly wondered if she enjoyed baseball as well. "I imagine she can work up quite the appetite. Emily danced beautifully tonight by the way. I would say the highlight of the show, but I may be slightly biased in favoring two young boys with significantly smaller parts."

She shrugged one shoulder. "That's okay, I forgive you. I have no problem saying, in my completely unbiased opinion, that she was my favorite part of the show."

Andy chuckled. "Just how many times have you seen the Nutcracker during her career as a dancer? This was only my first, but the boys are already talked about next year's production." He shook his head in bewilderment. "There are still shows to perform this season."

"More times than I would like to admit." She rolled her eyes, before adding more seriously, "I can honestly say that I never get tired of it. I love seeing her dance. This was the first time she had the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy, though."

"I can tell you she's the best Sugar Plum Fairy I've ever seen, " he said confidently before adding, "but that doesn't mean much since this is the first time I've ever seen the Nutcracker. Do you attend every show, or just the one?"

"When she was younger, every single one. Then she went off to school and New York for a few years after, and I didn't get to see as many. I would make it to at least one show of each production. This is the first production she has been in since she moved back. Besides the opening tonight, I may watch her again closing night." She shrugged a single shoulder, "We'll see."

"She truly was exceptional. You should be very proud." She beamed at his compliment. She clearly adored her children. "Jake has told me many times that she's really good, but I wasn't sure if that was his little infatuation talking, or his not-so-professional opinion," He joked.

Sharon giggled. "Emily mentioned that he has been quite the flirt. He will be severely disappointed to know she has been dating the Cavalier."

Andy pretended to pout, "That's a shame. His first real crush, and there's another man. Well, I won't be the one to tell him. I don't have it in me to break his heart."

"That's very sweet of you." She leaned in closer as if she was telling him a secret, "If it helps, I'm not sure it's deemed to last. I think this may be a matter of proximity. They have spent many hours together during practice. When the show is over... well, who's to say?"

He nodded in understanding. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but really the strongest connections were built between those who spend time together.

"I must say, Andy, I was quite fond of your chef's pants, but you do clean up quite nicely," she said teasingly. She had been trying to discreetly admire him as they talked. He really could wear a suit. She caught a glimpse of suspenders when he shifted to let someone pass. She typically wasn't a fan of the suspenders look, but was surprised to discover it only increased her attraction to him.

"Um, thank you." It was his turn to blush. He nervously ran his hand on the back of his head. "I didn't want to embarrass my family, so I thought I should upgrade the pants a bit...and the shirt...and jacket." He wasn't sure, but it seemed that she was flirting with him. Which was surprising because he was under the impression she was married. As if on cue, a man came up and laid his hand on her shoulder.

"Sharon. You were supposed to meet me outside the restrooms. I want to go congratulate our girl. What's taking you so long?" Andy felt himself deflate. This must be the husband he thought. He mentioned _their girl._ Then the man realized she was in the middle of a conversation. He turned to Andy and his eyebrows lifted. "Why, hello, Silver Fox."

Sharon glared at him. There was a clear warning in her tone. "Gavin. Behave. I will tell Michael."

"Psh. Some friend you are. No harm in just admiring." He waved his hand in Andy's generally direction before adding, "Besides, I'm clearly not the one he's interested in," which earned him an even more deathly glare from her.

She then turned to Andy with a small smile. "I'm won't bother apologizing for his behavior because there is no explaining him. I question daily why I even keep him around. Andy, this is my friend Gavin Baker. Gavin, this is Andy Flynn."

"Don't let her fool you. She adores me. Which is why _I let her_ keep me around. It's a _real_ _pleasure_ to meet you." He looked at Andy like he wanted to devour him. "So how do you two know each other?" Gavin gestured between the two.

Andy just stood there staring at the man. He was a flamboyant character that's for sure _. Clearly not her husband_. He didn't know whether to be flattered that the man was hitting on him, or hopeful that it seemed less likely Sharon was married. After all, if there was a husband in the picture, why did she come with this Gavin guy? "Friend? So you're not her..." He caught himself before he could finish. Even though she seemed interested, Andy didn't want to make any assumptions. She did glare at her _friend_ for pointing out Andy's own interest in her. He cleared his throat and hoped that the heat he could feel in his cheeks wasn't too obvious before he continued. "Um, Emily gives dance lessons to my grandsons. We met at the studio."

Gavin completely disregarded the latter part of the man's answer and honed in on the question Andy obviously was about to ask. "I'm not her what? Her husband? Boyfriend? Oh so better half? She would only be so lucky to have snagged me. I'm going to ignore the fact that you mistook me for the miserable louse she has for an ex. No dear, our beautiful Sharon here is single."

Andy only allowed himself to be slightly excited by the fortunate news. The daggers she was shooting in the other man's direction notably dampened the happiness he felt. He must have been misreading signals. The attraction he felt for her caused him to misinterpret her friendliness for flirting.

"Okay!" She clapped her hands together; effectively ending the direction the conversation was clearly headed. "Gavin, weren't we on our way to see Emily?" The death glare she was giving Gavin transformed to an anxious one when she addressed Andy. "I'm sorry Andy, we really must go."

He tried to not be hurt by the panic in her eyes and her eagerness to escape. "Of course. I'm sorry to have kept you. I see my daughter anyways. I must go, too." He couldn't even look her in the eye as he said goodbye. "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Sharon." He gave Gavin a curt nod, "It was nice meeting you." He quickly turned and headed toward the direction he had seen his family.

Gavin put on his best pouty face. "I think you hurt his feelings." He then narrowed his eyes at her. "Honestly, Sharon, what's so bad about the guy knowing you're divorced? He was clearly attracted to you, and as a bonus, he's really nice to look at."

She let out a deep sigh that almost turned into a groan. "Please don't. I already feel horrible enough. I just don't appreciate you telling my personal business to random people." She didn't know why she acted so violently to Gavin opening his big mouth. Anyone that knew her, knew she was separated a long time before she was finally divorced.

Gavin gave her a huge eye roll. "He's not that random. You know him."

"Not very well. Tonight was only the second time I had seen him." She threw her hands up in exasperation.

The look he gave her conveyed just how absurd he thought she was being. "So? There could be a third, fourth, and fifth time! It's not like you being single is a state secret. Gavin gave her a knowing smirk, "Besides, he's not the only one who is interested. You forget how well I know you. You don't smile like that at just anyone."

"Let's just drop it, okay? I'm pretty sure my reaction has changed his mind." She tried to shake off the bad mood she was finding herself in. Why was it such a big deal for Andy to know she was divorced? Gavin was right; she was very attracted to Andy. She wanted to get to know him more. That was the problem though. She had dated a few men over the year, but she hadn't been _this_ interested in knowing someone in a long time. It was a tad frightening. Too bad she probably just ruined her chance with her abhorrent behavior. She nudged Gavin in the direction of the back of the theater. "Let's go find Emily and congratulate her. She was amazing tonight."

. . .

Andy tried to dispel himself of the mood he found himself in before he reached Nicole and the boys, but he was only partially successful. He didn't understand why he was so crushed that his infatuation with Sharon clearly wasn't going anywhere. Sure, he had felt more towards her than any other woman recently, maybe ever, but he didn't even really know her. It was probably for the best. Someone as sweet and beautiful as her didn't need a guy with his kind of baggage hanging around. There was a reason he hadn't seriously dated anyone in a while. He had a penchant for screwing things up. Things were finally s on track with his kids again. His focus would remain on them and the restaurant.

-TBC-

 **AN: Please let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**YOU GUYS! Last night's episode! There was so much goodness! And not all of it because of Shandy, which was great. I still wish we got a little more of that proposal though. Hopefully, Tony can give us a little extra in his interview.**

 **IReadAndWriteSometimes is amazing. Thank you for the beta, and also altering the format your Pen name so I could give you proper thanks XD**

 **All mistakes are my own.**

CHAPTER THREE

Sharon glanced down at her watch. She was running a little behind. Though come to think of it, she would be on time if Gavin hadn't called _demanding_ she bring the wine, and since she would already be out, he not so subtly hinted it would be nice if she picked up dessert as well.

 _'I'm feeling rather gluttonous this evening, and I want to indulge myself.'_

Sharon mentally rolled her eyes. He could be so melodramatic. That was Gavin-speak for he was having self-induced relationship issues, and claimed he needed an impartial ear to help him sort the situation, but really he wanted her to undoubtedly agree with him no matter what she truly thought. She wasn't feeling very amenable at the moment. Her love life was currently pathetic, and she recently ran off the one man to which she was intensely attracted.

The grocery store had a decent selection, but not nearly as good as her usual place of purchase. Thinking about the restaurant shop only made her think about him. She felt her mood souring as she searched the shelves of bottled wine.

Just to spite him, she picked up a bottle of sweet moscato, rather than Gavin's usual preference of a dry cabernet. She typically didn't like her wines so sweet, but just thinking of the look of repulsion on his face brought a smile to her lips. It would be her own form of torture, while he tormented her with hours of whining. The man had commitment issues. Just when a certain amount of time had passed (about six months), he would over-analyze every minor infraction in the relationship and inevitably decide it was doomed. She really thought Michael had a chance. Things seemed different with him. Apparently not.

Now that she had the wine, she needed to find a dessert. This she would not settle on. It was not often that she let herself indulge her sweet tooth. The grocery market had a really decent bakery, she was sure she would find something there.

Sharon caught his eye as she lifted the assorted cheesecake slices to inspect the packaging. She slowly lowered it back down as she watched a myriad of emotions flicker across his face; ranging from excitement, to confusion, to uncertainty. He tentatively stepped in her direction, as if he wasn't sure he should approach her. She didn't blame him for his hesitance. She didn't leave him with the best impression during their last encounter. In hopes of relieving his tension, she assuredly walked to meet him halfway. She took the time to admire him as they neared one another. He was wearing a brown leather jacket over a maroon polo shirt that he left un-tucked from his jeans. He looked really, _really_ good.

When he reached her he gave her a shy lopsided smile. "Hey."

"Hello." It crossed her mind that he may not have wanted to talk to her. He may have only walked over out of some sense of gentlemanly obligation. Now she wasn't sure what she wanted to say to him. She just knew she didn't like how they left things during their last encounter and she didn't want to leave things that way.

They both stood there just smiling nervously at each. Neither knowing what to say. After a moment more of hesitation, he said, "I'm sorry," at the same time she said, "I apologize." They both laughed at the absurdity of the situation. He gestured for her to go first.

"I would like to apologize for my behavior last weekend at the ballet." She looked past him over his shoulder before she continued, "I can never be certain what's going to come out of Gavin's mouth. I panicked at the possibilities, which caused me to overreact," she said guiltily.

Andy fervently shook his head. "I'm the one that should apologize. I overstepped. I never should have been so insensitive and tried to ask such a personal question. I put us in that awkward situation." Though he never really asked. He stopped himself before fully forming it. It was that Gavin guy that made it a big deal.

As if reading his thoughts, she arched her brow knowingly and said, "Let's be clear, Gavin put us in that situation." At his chuckle and nod of agreement, she continued, "It's not incredibly personal. Anyone who knows me knows I'm divorced and was separated a _long_ time before that. It's just that I had a feeling Gavin was getting perilously close to..." She didn't know exactly how to nicely put her thoughts into words.

He smirked, "Throwing you at a complete stranger?"

Her shoulders slumped, "Yea, you could say it like that. He always concerns himself with my...social life and it can be exasperating." She almost said dating life, but realized that would be presumptuous of her.

"Yea, that's the impression I got. I know enough of the meddling type that I can easily spot them. I had a feeling that if the conversation continued and he got his way, I would have gone home with either you or him." His smile turned mischievous. "He would've been happy with either outcome."

Sharon let out a little snort laugh. "You're right about that. He's a shameless flirt, even if it's not for his own benefit."

"Just so we're clear, he is not my type." He gave her a wink.

The way he was looking at her made her blush, and she felt a fluttering in her stomach at where this conversation could possibly be headed. She didn't know if it was panic or hope. Before she could decide, he interrupted her thoughts.

"He came on too strong. It was that 'shameless flirting' as you say. If he had played a little hard to get, well," he alternated his hand back and forth as if weighing an option, "things may have turned out differently."

She shook her head in disbelief, but she still had a wide smile on her face. "He will be sorry to hear that. I will take great pleasure in telling him. Right after I force this too sweet grocery store wine on him."

At her mention of the wine, he feigned a look of offense. "I must say I'm a little insulted. We have a wide selection of wine at the shop, which you yourself have admitted to enjoying, and you're here buying Boones Farm."

"This is not Boones Farm. I would never." She gave him an expression of mock indignation. "Your restaurant is closed on Mondays, and since today is Monday, I had to settle."

He raised his hand in surrender. It was true. They did close on Mondays. It was generally the slowest day and it guaranteed him at least one day off.

"Anyways, Gavin demanded I bring the wine to dinner tonight. This is his punishment for being intolerable. No doubt he will be beside himself." She had a devilish gleam in her eye and added, "Especially after I tell him about his missed opportunity with you."

"You're wicked." His grin widened even as he said it. He was incredibly relieved that they seemed to move past the awkwardness and into lighthearted banter with one another.

"Perhaps he will think twice before running his mouth again." She shrugged a single shoulder. "Don't worry, I intend to stop by the restaurant and replenish my personal stock later this week."

"Andrew!" At the sound of his name he looked over Sharon's shoulder. Angela was headed their way and she looked irritated.

She threw her hands up in exasperation, "I was waiting in the checkout line like you asked because you would 'only be a sec,' but after letting 5 people go ahead of me I decided to come look for you instead." It was then that she noticed Sharon. "Oh, hello."

Sharon felt a little twinge of jealousy at the fact that Andy was here at the grocery store with another woman. She didn't understand why it bothered her so much, but it did. As Sharon nodded at the woman in greeting, she realized the woman looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place her.

"Sharon this is my sister Angela. Angela, this is my friend Sharon." He gestured between the two and hoped that it was okay to call Sharon his friend. They didn't know much about one another, but they were friendly.

Sharon then realized why the woman seemed familiar. It was the same woman she usually saw at the restaurant, and who had sold her a bottle of wine or two on several occasions. Every time she had encountered her previously, Angela's hair was pulled back into a neat low bun; every hair in place. She was currently was letting her natural curls flow freely around her face. She looked more carefree and less business-like. Sharon realized she had a smile that resembled Andy's. As Sharon returned the smile, she told herself she was only smiling so brightly because Angela's smile was just as infectious as her brother's, not because she felt relieved Andy wasn't there with another woman.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you." When Angela's expression turned confused, Sharon further explained, "I have seen you at the restaurant many times, and I've purchased several bottles of wine from you."

Andy saw an opportunity and he ran with it. He turned to his sister with a roguish smirk, "She was just telling me how she's had to settle for grocery store wine, because she also finds you so obnoxious and annoying that she doesn't want to come to the restaurant anymore."

Sharon's eyes widened in horror. "I said no such thing!"

Andy busted out laughing until a hand flew up and smacked him on the back of the head. "Ouch! Was that necessary?"

"Don't be an ass." Angela narrowed her eyes at him.

As he rubbed the back of his head where he was hit, he turned to Sharon with an apologetic look, "I'm sorry for taking the opportunity to malign my abusive sister at your expense."

"You just can't help yourself, can you?"

Andy attempted to look apologetic. "I'm sorry."

She gave him a half-hearted glare, "No, you're not."

It was true. The devilish smirk on his face was indeed proof that he was, in fact, not sorry. The two women just shook their heads at him.

"Just so it's clear, I'm only abusive because you're insufferable," she said with a raise of her chin.

"I love you, too," he responded cheekily.

Angela turned to Sharon and rolled her eyes, but not without leaning into her brother's side when he threw his arm over her shoulders. "This is why I banish him to the back of the restaurant. He's unbearable on a good day."

Sharon giggled. She could tell despite their squabbling, they really loved each other. "It is unfortunate."

"I'm sorry to have to interrupt, but the family is meeting at my house, and this one," she jerked her thumb towards Andy, "promised to cook." She then turned to look up at him, "If we don't hurry they will get impatient and Frank will start poking around the kitchen."

A look of horror crossed Andy's face. He turned to Sharon, "I must be heading out now. That man could burn water if it was possible. It was wonderful seeing you again."

She was sad to see him go, but remembered she had somewhere to be as well. "Likewise. See you later." She found herself hoping that was true."

Once they were out of sight and hearing range, Angela nudged Andy with her shoulder, "She's beautiful."

Andy tried to maintain a straight face. "She is."

"So," she drew out the word, "when are you two going out?"

Andy looked at her like she grew two heads. "We're not."

"Why not?"

Andy let out a deep sigh. "I don't really know her, Ang."

Angela clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes at his absurdity "Don't be ridiculous. Isn't that the point of going out? To get to know the other person?"

"I guess." He gave a halfhearted shrug. "She's just a nice person. I happened to run into her at the dance studio. Her daughter is the boys' instructor. We've randomly run into each other a couple of times since then. Don't make something out of nothing."

The truth is Andy wanted it to be something, he just wouldn't tell his sister that. She _really_ liked to meddle. A lot like Sharon's friend Gavin.

"Didn't look like nothing." When he shot her a warning look, she held her hands up in surrender. "I was just pointing out that it seemed like she wouldn't mind you asking her out."

Andy didn't respond, but he pondered his sister's words as they made their way through the checkout line. Maybe he should ask Sharon out. Something simple and low key, like coffee. It would provide an opportunity to learn more about each other and see if there really was something there.

-TBC-


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for the slight delay in the posting of this chapter. This past week got away from me :)**

 **I want to express my genuine gratitude for all the favs, follows, and kind words in your review. You all are AMAZING.**

 **I would like to give a special shout out to IReadAndWriteSometimes, not only for the beta, but also for providing me with the brilliant idea for this chapter. You have become a much needed sounding board for this project and it his been a true pleasure fangirling with you.**

 **Any mistakes belong to me.**

CHAPTER FOUR

Andy wiped down the table after he prepared the last plate and glanced up at the clock. It was late afternoon. The lunch rush was over, and they would only get a few stragglers here and there until dinner. He decided it was a good time to walk around again.

He told himself every good owner checks on everything periodically, which is why he was making his way up to the front of the restaurant, not because he was hoping to run into her. When he had run into her at the store, she had casually mentioned stopping by later in the week to pick up some wine, but the chances of him running into her were very slim. Still, he found himself making routine walk-throughs of the restaurant just in case.

He exited the kitchen and turned left toward the dining area. He scanned the area looking for her familiar face, but most of the tables and booths were empty. There were a few tables that had occupants, but none of them were who he was looking for.

He walked towards the hostess stand and waiting area, which was vacant as well except for the lone hostess. When she saw him round the corner, she slipped her phone in her pocket, though not as discreetly as she'd hoped, and picked up a menu from the stack next to her and began wiping it down. Andy inwardly rolled his eyes, but gave her a curt nod as he passed by. As long as phones didn't distract them from getting the job done, he could care less if his employees were on them to pass the time during the slow periods. He passed the hostess and walked through the spacious waiting area. Just past the waiting area, through an archway, was where the wine shop was located. It could be accessed from the main entrance to the restaurant, or by it's own separate entrance. It was rare for him to be anywhere near the front, but even rarer for him to step foot in the wine area. It was Angela's special project, and most likely where he would find her.

He had purchased the restaurant from her and her husband back when it was still a mom-n-pop kind of place, before all the remodeling. Angela had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and they needed the money to pay for her treatment. Andy had been working as the chef for about ten years by then and they had always paid him well. What he didn't give to his ex-wife for the kids, or use for his living expenses was put into savings. When she had first mentioned to Andy that they might need to put the restaurant on the market, he did not hesitate to make her an offer. Mark, his brother-in-law, was still the general manager, but Andy had hired an assistant to help out when Mark was needed to take care of Angela. She had even come in to help up front during her treatments when she was able.

It wasn't long after Angela received the good news that she was in remission, that Andy had decided to do the remodel. She had cautiously approached Andy with the idea of adding on the wine shop. He was hesitant at first, but when she assured him that if it wasn't lucrative, he could always use the area as additional seating or even a large party area, he had agreed. In addition to the wine, they also sold traditional Italian pastries and desserts. After the first two years, the shop began profiting enough to be its own little business, and it made his sister happy.

When he walked through the archway, he found his sister at the counter leafing through a small stack of papers. If he had to guess, it was inventory or something just as boring. He only glimpsed in her direction briefly before taking a look through the shelves to see if he could spot another familiar face. The place was empty. His shoulders slumped.

Angela gave him a cursory glance over her reading glasses. "Who are you looking for?

He casually walked up to the counter and leaned a hip against its edge. He could see the front entrance of the restaurant from his current position. There was a toothpick dispenser sitting off to the side. He turned the knob to dispense one out and placed it in his mouth. "No one."

"Then what are you doing up here?" There was a hint of annoyance in her voice. She probably thought he came up here just to pester her. The thought made Andy smile.

"Just thought I'd come check things out." As if to prove his point, he pinched the top of the page she was focused on between his fingers and tilted it so he could read it. It was as he expected, a bunch of words and numbers.

She jerked the page out of his flimsy grasp, and placed it, along with the rest of the stack of papers, to the side and eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

He pushed the toothpick from the center of his mouth to the side with his tongue and shrugged his shoulders. "Do I have to have a reason?"

She looked him up and down. "You're acting weird," she said instead of answering him.

His brow furrowed. "No, I'm not." He had hoped he wasn't being too obvious, but of course his sister would see straight through his false pretense.

"You _never_ come up here." Though, now that she thought about it, she had seen him wandering around several times this week. It was odd.

"Well, I got bored so I thought I'd come up here for a bit." He couldn't even look her in the eye. He was failing miserably at being nonchalant.

Angela placed both palms on the counter and leaned forward, "Andrew, you don't get bored. You either take a nap in the office or you get the rest of the kitchen crew involved in some _ridiculous_ cleaning competition."

"Hey," he didn't even have to feign insult, "it's not ridiculous. The crew gets their cleaning duties finished twice as fast when I initiate those competitions."

She just rolled her eyes. That may be true, but typically his little competitions ended with some object being broken. "The last one ended with two racks of glasses being shattered and we almost didn't have enough to make it through the next two nights' dinner rushes while we waited for more to be delivered."

He wasn't even listening to her anymore. A small group of women had walked in and he could see a hint of auburn hair between them. His posture straightened as he tried to catch sight of the woman's face, or even her body. He'd recognize Sharon from her legs alone. The women began to follow the hostess in single file. The tension in his jaw began to increase as he waited for the redhead to pass. The toothpick he had in his mouth snapped when she passed by. It wasn't her. Not even remotely close.

Angela leaned over the counter so she could see where his attention had gone. She watched until the women were out of sight. "Who was it?"

Andy chunked the broken toothpick into the trash behind the counter and dispensed another one. "No one," he said defeated. "I better head to the back so I can throw together all the salads and appetizers they will most likely order," the door chimed, announcing a customer, "and you have..." he tilted his head toward the gentleman that walked in.

"Are you okay?" Angela had a concerned look on her face. His mood seemed to have dampened significantly.

"Of course." He awarded her with his best, crooked grin before turning to leave.

She turned to the gentleman that had entered, "Hello, is there anything I can help you with today?"

She had been listening to the man drone on about his _superior knowledge_ of wine for the past few minutes, when the door chimed announcing another customer. She turned with a small smile to briefly greet the new guests before turning back to Mr. Know-it-all, when she caught sight of a familiar face. Her smile widened and she gave a tiny wave. It was that woman Andy was talking to at the grocery store at the beginning of the week. Sharon, that was her name.

Angela watched as Sharon, and the girl she assumed was her daughter, walked past the first few rows of shelves. Her daughter was talking non-stop, but she could see Sharon was only partially listening. The daughter turned down one of the aisles, but didn't notice when her mother continued to walk further on. She was too busy talking to notice anything else. Angela watched as Sharon went to the very last row of shelves, right next to the archway leading to the restaurant, and surreptitiously looked around.

Angela inwardly rolled her eyes. If she had to guess, this is why her brother had been wandering around the front the past few days. He was hoping to run into Sharon. She must've mention dropping by later in the week.

She tuned out Mr. Know-it-all as she continued to watch Sharon and her daughter.

"Mom. Mom!" Emily peered around the aisle she was on. "What are you doing? The wine you like is right here." She held up the bottle and gave it a gentle shake.

Sharon had slightly startled when Emily all but shouted to get her attention. She was trying to casually look out across what she could see of the restaurant in hopes of spotting Andy. She didn't really expect to see him, after all he did mention he spent all of his time in the back, but there was a small part of her that hoped she would. She turned to look at her daughter who was eyeing her suspiciously. Sharon wasn't one to linger. She knew what she wanted, and she was in and out as fast as possible.

"Em, there is no need to shout. I just wanted to take a look at some of the other selections to see if anything caught my eye." She abandoned her mission of looking for Andy, and walked toward her daughter.

"Right." Emily drew out the word. Her mother was a creature of habit. She had been buying the same bottle of wine since this place had opened. "Do you want just one, or two?"

Sharon contemplated getting just one, that way she could come back sooner and increase her chances of an encounter with Andy, but she had a busy weekend ahead of her and didn't know if she would actually get the chance. "Go ahead and grab two."

As they walked to the counter to make their purchase, Angela graciously excused herself from Mr. Windbag to assist them. "Sharon, hello. Good to see you again."

Emily snorted. "Geez, Mom. How often do you come in here? You're on a first name basis."

Sharon shot her daughter a displeased look as she handed over her credit card. Angela just laughed. "Oh, I wouldn't say she comes in here all that often. She and my brother are friends, and he recently introduced us." She then turned to Sharon. "You just missed him. He headed back to the kitchen just a few minutes ago."

This news piqued Emily's interest. Her eyebrows rose in question. "What other male friends do you have besides Gavin?"

Sharon blushed. Her daughter looked entirely too gleeful at the moment. She didn't know whether to be upset that she just missed him, or glad that she was spared the embarrassment her daughter surely would have bestowed on her. "I don't know Andy all that well really. We've just encountered each other a few times; the first time being at the dance studio. He's the grandfather of the boys you teach."

"Andy?" Emily tapped her chin with a finger while she tried to recall where she heard that name recently. Her grin widened when she recalled a recent conversation. Gavin had mentioned him after the Nutcracker, only to receive an elbow to the side from her mother, effectively shutting him up, but not before he divulged the important details. "Oh! The silver fox Gavin was crushing on after the ballet!"

Angela threw her had back in laughter. "My brother has a secret male admirer? I truly cannot wait to harass him about this later. Thank you."

Emily giggled. "Gavin has quite the wandering eye. Though if I recall, he was slightly disappointed that Andy's interest seemed to lie with someone else." She looked pointedly at her mother.

Sharon wanted the floor to swallow her up immediately. Her children never knew when to mind their own business. "Yes, well Gavin shouldn't feel to put out, he is with Michael."

Angela handed Sharon the credit card back and smiled playfully. "I can go get Andy for you. I'm sure he'd love to say hi."

"Excuse me, ma'am," said an irritated voice.

Angela frowned. It was the blowhard interrupting. He apparently didn't appreciate that she had other customers she was more wiling to assist.

Sharon took the opportunity to make a hasty retreat. "You're busy. We will just head out. It was wonderful seeing you again." She nudged her daughter towards the door. "Emily, let's go."

Once out the door, Emily immediately pounced, "So, when were you going to tell me about Andy?"

Sharon shot her a displeased look. "We are not discussing this. In fact, there's nothing to discuss. He's just a friend, if you could even call him that. More of an acquaintance. I've only met him a few times, Em. Don't make it a bigger issue than it is."

When Emily began to interject, Sharon gave her a warning glare and she thought better of it. Though it didn't stop her from mumbling, "An _acquaintance_ you clearly want to know better."

Sharon pretended not to hear her as they approached the car.

. . .

"You're an idiot." Angela stated matter-of-factly as she approached her brother. He was in the process of making ravioli. She leaned a hip against the counter next to where he was working.

Andy grunted. This was not the first time she had spontaneously announced this thought. "Did Provenza stop by again just to have you tell me that?"

"Ha! No, but now that I think about it, I haven't seen that cantankerous neighbor of yours recently. I miss him. No one else joins me in complaining about you quite like he does," she said wistfully.

"Yea, you're kindred spirits," he muttered before continuing, "We're going to watch a game together this upcoming week. I will pass along your well wishes."

"I appreciate it. That's sweet of you." She patted him on the shoulder. "Anyways, you're an idiot."

"Yea, we have established that." He rolled his eyes as he placed the freshly made ravioli into the storage container it would be kept in until they needed it. "Since Provenza didn't send you, and I'm assuming this goes beyond my usual grievance of simply being your brother, mind telling me what it is that you think I've done this time?"

Angela's eyes glittered mischievously. "Your girlfriend just stopped by."

Andy's brows knit in confusion. "I don't have..." he paused when he remembered who he had been secretly hoping to encounter this week. "Sharon's here? Is she seated at a table?" He pulled the towel off his shoulder and began wiping his hands. He began walking to the front.

Angela grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. He was behaving a little too eager for someone he claimed to only be friends with. "Calm down, you just missed her. She came in with her daughter to pick up some wine. I was gonna come grab you, but they were in a bit of a hurry."

She would not tell him that she and the daughter had effectively embarrassed Sharon so much that she turned a rather bright shade of crimson before the poor woman made a hasty retreat. Instead her smile turned cheeky and she poked him, "So, you admit it. She is your girlfriend."

"I didn't say that!" Andy threw the towel he was holding at her.

She caught it and then smacked him in the arm with it. "You're the one that immediately thought of her when I said girlfriend. What else am I supposed to think?"

He jerked the towel out her hand and hit her back with it. There were times they acted like children instead of the middle-aged (an adjective which Provenza would say he shouldn't cling to so closely) adults they were. "You've used the term girlfriend in association with her before. That's how I knew whom you were talking about."

"Admit it. You want to ask her out." When he just scowled at her and grabbed the ravioli container to take to the walk-in fridge, she continued, "I know she's the reason why I've had to endure seeing your ugly mug up front so much this week. You were hoping to run into her."

She only laughed when she heard him mumbling something along the lines of "righteous pain in my ass."

-TBC-

 **A/N: As always, I would love to know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**I know I say this every time, but seriously thank you all for the AMAZING reviews, follows, favorites. I cannot begin to describe just how giddy they make me. I really wish I was able to send you guests a personal thanks because you all are truly so kind.**

 **Here is a relatively short chapter. I hope you guys will stick with me throughout this journey I have in mind for these two adorkable idiots. I assure you, I want the same outcome as you, but ending it so soon is a little less fun for me. Writing is my little escape from RL and I want to enjoy it as much as possible. I promise to not drag this on for 20+ chapters, but a handful more should dot it :)**

 **The next chapter is already complete and going through the revision process. It will be posted sometime tomorrow.**

 **A special thanks to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta and for teaching me all the little things she is learning along the way XD**

CHAPTER FIVE

Sharon knew she had spent an ample amount of time talking with Father Espinoza, but she didn't realize just how long she had been inside the church until she exited the building. The sun had set and the temperature had dropped significantly. She drew her trench coat tighter around her form as she headed to the parking lot on the side of the building.

She had not been to confession in some time, and she had a lot weighing on her mind. She had been feeling unbalanced recently, and knew that a session with the father would bring her the equilibrium she so desired. Jack's drunken visit the last month was only the beginning. She was able to get Jack in a cab that night and avoid the kids getting involved since Rusty and Emily had both been out that evening. He had called her the following day to apologize for his behavior and promised to work on his sobriety again. That apparently was short lived because she had recently found out he had harassed Emily at the dance studio one night. Emily, with Ricky's support, thought it was best to keep that bit of information from their mother. It was Rusty who had accidentally let it slip.

It's not that Sharon believed she was responsible for Jack's behavior and drinking, but she often wondered how much pain and heartache she could've spared her children if she had divorced him sooner. She did her best to protect them from seeing the worst of Jack's disease and bad habits, but wasn't always successful. Now it seemed her children brought it on themselves to be her protector.

Emily vehemently denies that the divorce was what prompted her to move back to LA, but Sharon thought she protested too much. It was true she would have a greater chance at leads and solos, and the pay would go further than in New York; Sharon had been telling her that since her daughter decided New York was where her dreams would take her. However, Emily did not heed the advice until Sharon had called and announced that she and Jack were getting a divorce. Emily had just started the new fall/winter season, but when it ended, it also concluded her contract, she packed her apartment, transferred her lease, and moved back home. It had been almost an entire year, and Emily was still living with Sharon and Rusty. Sharon had to admit, having her daughter home has been wonderful. She and Rusty formed a unique bond, and with Ricky living in the area, they had family meals frequently.

Sharon also wondered if, had she divorced Jack sooner, it would be easier to open up her heart again? She hadn't given it much thought before. Over the course of her separation, she had dated a few men, but nothing serious had ever come of those relationships. Those men had merely provided companionship when she felt she wanted it. It wasn't until meeting a stranger on a few occasions recently that she entertained the possibility of something more with someone. It was absurd honestly, she didn't really even know Andy, but he seemed to ignite feelings that she had not experienced in years. She typically did not seek relationships with men outside of her social circle and after knowing them for a time. The fact that she was considering pursuing a dating relationship with a man she hardly knew was an unfamiliar, yet exciting, prospect and she needed to flesh out how she felt about it. She needed to decide what she wanted in a companion at her age. She's not a young twenty-something anymore. It's a novel idea to have the chance to decide what she wants for herself and not do what is expected of her. That thought had her smiling to herself.

She continued to contemplate this thought as she walked to her car. The sound of voices drew her from her internal reverie as she rounded the corner to reach the parking lot. She glanced briefly enough to determine there were two men talking at the far end of the walkway. She continued to make her way to her car when she heard her name being called. Sharon looked up to see that Andy was one of the two men.

Andy patted the other man on the shoulder and bid him goodbye before heading in Sharon's direction. He had what looked like a bakery box in his hands and that disarming smile on his face. She felt a flutter in her stomach that she had come to associate with him. He was wearing that leather jacket and jeans again. She couldn't decide if she liked this look or his suit and suspenders best. She was returning his smile when he approached.

"You know, I'm beginning to think you're following me. I don't know whether to be alarmed or flattered by you stalker tendencies." He punctuated his statement with a wink.

"Are you sure it isn't you who is following me? I have been her for some time. Perhaps you've been lying in wait."

He chuckled. "I can promise you that is not the case. Though I'm beginning to think I'm the luckiest man on earth getting to run into you so often recently. It's been a true pleasure."

Sharon felt the heat rise in her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to such a blatant compliment so she changed the subject. "Do you attend mass here? I don't ever recall seeing you, and I'm sure I would've remembered." There weren't any services for the day, but perhaps he was there for the same reason she was this evening.

"Oh, uhh..." Andy rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "No, not often. Typically just during Christmas and Easter. I have the occasional conversation with Father Espinoza if I need a little guidance, but I mainly come for my weekly meeting." He shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes an extra one if needed."

Sharon's brow knit in confusion as she tried to determine what kind of meeting he would need to attend at a church during the middle of the week. It took a moment, but it finally clicked. Before Jack left, when it was clear he had a drinking problem and he promised he would work on getting better, she had helped him look up local meetings. It turned out Holy Trinity, where they attended church held several AA meetings during the week. She wasn't really sure how many meetings Jack had actually attended. He had left a few months after making his promise.

Her expression transformed to one of realization. "AA," she all but whispered. She hoped she was successful in hiding the slight pang of disappointment she felt. She found Andy very attractive and easy to talk to, but she wasn't sure if her heart could handle going through that pain again.

Andy was used to the myriad of reactions that people expressed when he told them about being an alcoholic-disgust, shock, pity-but he couldn't recall anyone being disappointed, and he was pretty sure that was the look that crossed Sharon's face before she schooled her features.

"Yes, AA." Despite her unexpected response, he still spoke confidently. He was not ashamed of his disease. Owning up to it was the first and most important step to take. "I've been sober for going on nineteen years now and working the program ever since."

Her facial expression softened. Nineteen years was a significant amount of time. She wasn't certain Jack had gone longer than nineteen months without indulging in one of his vices. "That is truly commendable, Andy. You should be very proud." The small smile she was giving him turned into a slight frown. "I know not everyone works as hard as you do to maintain their sobriety."

There was something in the way her voice hitched and the way her expression saddened that gave him pause. "You sound like you're speaking from experience." It came out more as a question than a statement.

Sharon somberly nodded. "Yes, my ex-husband is an alcoholic... among other things."

Andy felt a twist in his stomach. She has already had to endure the heartache that comes with being married to an alcoholic. She may not want to risk that again. "I'm sorry you had to endure that. My greatest regret is the hurt and pain I put my ex-wife and children through during the years I chose to spend in a bottle rather than be home with them." Andy sighed heavily. "I even put my sister through hell, but she, along with my cantankerous old neighbor, kicked my ass into gear and helped me get my feet back on the ground."

There was a look of remorse in his eyes, a look Sharon wasn't sure Jack had ever displayed, and sincere sorrow in his voice. She unconsciously reached out and gave his upper arm a reassuring squeeze. "It seems your feet have remained firmly on the ground."

He wanted to reach over and place his hand on top of hers, but she seemed to realize what she had done and quickly removed hers. "I've worked very hard to gain their trust again, and it hasn't been easy. I will never get back the years that I lost, but my family is more than worth the effort to stay sober."

"Like I said, it's truly admirable." And she really meant it. She could honestly say she trusted the conviction in Andy's voice more than she ever did her ex-husband's. "I know that your family appreciates the effort you put forth to maintain your sobriety. What's important is you have mended those bridges and continue to work on the relationships."

Andy shrugged off her compliment. "One day at a time." He held out the bakery box in his hand. "Would you like some cannolis? There's two left. I brought them from the restaurant and I promise you they're fresh; I made them this afternoon."

"Oh. Hmm." She rubbed her lips together. She really should say no, but she's had the delectable dessert from Sicilia on many occasions. To say they are divine would be an understatement. "I shouldn't. I mean... I don't want to take your treats."

"Please, you would be doing me a favor. I _sampled_ one or a few after I made them." He paused momentarily before adding, "For quality control of course."

Sharon giggled. "Of course."

"Anyways, I do not need any more." He gave her a lopsided smirk. "My doctor would be very displeased."

She shook her head, but couldn't help the growing smile that formed on her face. "In that case, I would be happy to take them off your hands." Her expression sobered and her tone grew more serious. "I'm only doing this for your benefit, you know."

"Of course. No other reason came to my mind. I appreciate the sacrifice you're making on my behalf." He gave her a wink. "I owe you one." When he handed over the bakery box, Andy's fingertips brushed across Sharon's. They were icy to the touch. A slight frown furrowed his brow. "I should let you go. Now that the sun has gone completely down, it's cold out here."

He really wanted to stay and talk with her, or even ask her to join him for a cup of coffee, but her initial reaction to him being an alcoholic made him hesitate. He didn't feel like she was judging him, but after learning her husband was an alcoholic (and from the sound of it, had problems with staying sober), he wanted to give her time and space to absorb the information.

"Yes, it is." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before adding, "Thank you for the pastries."

"You are more than welcome." He had a hopeful look while he shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps I will run into you in some random place again."

"Perhaps. Goodbye, Andy." She lifted her hand in a small wave, and he responded with a small nod of his head.

They had both turned and began heading towards their respective cars when Sharon stopped and called out to him. "Andy." He turned and gave a questioning look. She smiled shyly at him. "It truly was a pleasure seeing you again. I do hope I run into you again... soon."

She was rewarded with one of his heart-stopping grins. She gave him another small wave before she continued the walk to her car. She definitely had a lot to think about.

-TBC-


	6. Chapter 6

**I haven't had a chance to thank those of you that I can personally for your reviews, but do know they are greatly appreciated. And thanks for all of the guest reviews as well!**

 **A special thanks to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta!**

 **This chapter takes place immediately after the last chapter when Sharon arrives home. .**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

CHAPTER SIX

When Sharon entered the condo, she could hear voices from the kitchen. She placed her purse on the entryway table and hung up her coat, before grabbing the pastry box to take to the kitchen. When she turned the corner, she was surprised to see it was not Emily and Rusty as she expected, but Emily and another young woman. They were both huddled together looking at Emily's laptop.

"I really liked this one, but it's quite the commute from the dance studio. I'm not sure the pool is worth it. There are beaches for that." Emily glanced up over the top of the computer when she noticed her mother's presence. "Oh, hey, mom!"

"Hello." She placed the pastry box on the dining room table as she eased down into one of the chairs across from the girls. "Good day?" At Emily's distracted nod, she turned to her daughter's guest, "Hello, I'm Sharon."

"Oh! I'm sorry, mom. This is my friend Nicole." She gestured toward the young woman sitting next to her. "Nicole is the step-mom of Jake and Ethan, whom you have seen in passing and I've told you about. Nicole, this is my mom." Emily's smile quickly turned mischievous. "She's _friends_ with your dad."

The way her daughter said the word 'friends' had Sharon narrowing her eyes at Emily before turning to smile at Nicole. "It's lovely to meet you. What my daughter means to say is I've had the pleasure of meeting your dad a few times."

"What makes it such a _pleasure_ , mom?" Emily asked with a suspicious smile.

Before Sharon could respond, Nicole clapped her hands together in excitement. "You're _that_ Sharon?" She threw her head back in laughter before turning to Emily, " I had no idea when Aunt Angela mentioned Dad's girlfriend Sharon, she was talking about your mom!" She nudged Emily with her elbow, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emily could see her mom's face turning scarlet, which only made her laugh more. "I just recently found out a few days ago they knew each other. The last I heard they were just friends." She put air quotes around the last word. "I had no idea things had progressed so quickly." Emily turned to look at Sharon and her eyes glittered playfully. "Mom, you're holding out on me. I'm hurt." She clutched her chest dramatically.

Sharon recovered from her flustered state enough to finally respond. "You two are not as funny as you believe." She stood and picked up the pastry box and headed toward the kitchen. "Nicole, I'm sorry, but you have been misinformed. I am not your dad's-" she paused not wanting to say the word that had been thrown out, but reluctantly finished, "girlfriend. I really don't know enough about him except to say he is a friend." She had placed the pastry box on the counter and was now pulling out a bottle of wine from the fridge.

"You know," Sharon looked up to see Nicole was wearing a smirk that was very similar to her father's, "if I'm not mistaken, those are some of Dad's infamous cannolis in that box you have. I'd know that smell anywhere."

Emily perked up at this. "Did you see Andy tonight, mom?"

"These are from the restaurant." It wasn't a complete lie. Andy did mention they were from the restaurant when he gave them to her.

"You didn't answer the question." Emily gave her a pointed look.

"I'm having a glass of wine, would you girls like one?" She had pulled down one glass and turned to look over her shoulder as she awaited their answer.

"Distracting me with wine isn't going to help." Emily closed her laptop and pushed it aside. When Sharon only remained silent and continued to look at her expectantly, she rolled her eyes. "Sure, I'll have one."

"Nicole?" Sharon asked as she pulled down the second glass.

Nicole looked at the time on her phone. "No, thank you. I actually should probably get going. Dean and the boys should be heading home soon from their boys night out." She noticed how uncomfortable they had made Sharon, and took pity on her. She turned to Emily and with a small shrug said, "I would love to assist you in teasing your mom about my dad, but I happen to know that tonight is his meeting night. He wouldn't have been at the restaurant."

Emily flopped back in her chair defeated. It wouldn't be as fun teasing her mother without a partner. "I will walk you out." She gracefully unfolded her legs from where they were crossed in the chair and stood.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Sharon." Nicole couldn't help getting one last jab in. "My dad sure is lucky to have a _friend_ like you."

Emily dissolved into a fit of giggles. Sharon just rolled her eyes. "Have a good evening, Nicole. Be safe heading home."

When the girls rounded the corner, Sharon's shoulders slumped and she sighed in relief. Fending off Emily alone was hard enough. She didn't have the energy to take on two of them. By the time Emily had returned from seeing Nicole to the door, Sharon had both glasses of wine at the dining room table, along with to small plates, each containing a cannoli.

Emily sat across from her mom at the table, but before she could continue to tease her, Sharon redirected the conversation. "Did you girls have a good day?"

Emily nodded as she swiped some cream filling from the pastry with her finger and placed it in her mouth. "We did. We both had the afternoon off, so she went apartment hunting with me. We were just discussing the best options when you came in." She nodded her head toward the laptop.

"That's so nice of her to go with you." Sharon took a sip of her wine before continuing, "I would've gone if you had asked. There's no rush for you to move out, honey. There's plenty of room for you here."

It was true. There really was plenty of room. She had feared when she bought the condo that it would be too much space for her alone. It was 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, though the spare bedrooms and bath were rather small. Even though she thought it might be too big, Sharon bought the condo anyways, hoping the extra rooms would entice her children to visit more often. Now she was glad she did. Not too long after, Rusty had moved in, taking one of the spare bedrooms. Then two years later, Emily moved back home and had been here almost a year.

Emily snorted. "I know you're not rushing me mom, and there's room, but I've stayed here long enough. I lived on my own for three years when I was in New York. I love spending time with you and getting to know Rusty, but I miss having a space that is my own. I'm almost thirty-years old. I need to spread my little ballerina-fairy wings and fly."

"I know that you won't be going far, but I'm going to miss seeing you so often."

"Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me that easily. I will be coming over often for dinner and I still expect for us to go shopping on a weekly basis."

Sharon laughed softly. "Far be it from me to deny you food or shopping."

"Or yourself. Don't pretend like it's solely for my benefit." Emily's expression turned more serious. "Thank you for letting me come back home and stay here so I could save up."

Sharon reached over and cupped Emily's cheek. "There is no need to thank me. This is your home, and I'm always here for you."

Emily leaned into her mother's touch. "I know."

Sharon released her hand and picked up her cannoli. Before taking a bite she asked, "When did you and Nicole become such good friends?"

Emily was still scooping out the cream filling from the pastry with her finger. She looked up at Sharon and sighed heavily. "Since Rusty already let it slip about dad's recent transgression, it wouldn't hurt to tell you everything."

"Emily, don't be so hard on him. He's afraid of the consequences that can come from keeping that kind of information secret, and for good reason. He did what he thought was best."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I know. That's why I can't be mad at him."

Sharon gripped Emily's hand in appreciation. "So, the rest of the story?"

Emily tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she leaned back in the chair. "Nicole was dropping off payment for the boys' lessons because she was going on a business trip and didn't think Dean would remember. She witnessed Dad's drunken visit, and she helped me get him into my car to take him home."

Sharon's eyes widened in horror. "Do what? Emily, you said your father was slightly inebriated and he left in a cab."

"Well, yea. He was _slightly_ drunk enough that he could barely walk, and I was his cab ride home." Her mother clearly wasn't impressed with her poor attempt at making a joke, so she continued on with simple facts. "He was drinking at a restaurant bar around the corner and when they took his keys away, he... stopped by to ask me for a ride."

Sharon just shook her head in astonishment. She opened her mouth to say something, but she had too many thoughts and didn't know which to voice first.

Emily took a large swig of wine. "Mom, please don't freak out."

Sharon narrowed her eyes. "When have you ever known me to freak out?"

Emily let out a short laugh that sounded more like a grunt. "Point taken. Anyways," she waved her hand indicating they were getting off topic and needed to move on. "Nicole stopped by again after her business trip to check on me. It was actually very nice of her. That was when she told me-" Emily stopped midsentence not knowing if she should share the information with her mom, or how she would handle it.

Sharon presumed where Emily was headed and finished the sentence for her. "That her father is an alcoholic, too."

Emily's eyes widened fractionally. She was really beginning to think her mother and Andy were not simply _just friends_ as they claimed to be. "Yes," she said quietly.

Sharon knew her daughter had more to say, so she waited patiently for her to continue. She could see Emily was collecting her thoughts as she played with her food. She had completely scooped out the entire filling from her cannoli, and was now nibbling at the pastry portion.

"Though Dad and Andy share the same addiction, how they have handled it is vastly different. It's not really my story to tell, but I do know that once Andy got sober that last time, he worked and continues to work hard to stay that way. At least that's what Nicole says. She didn't trust him for many years, but now they have a pretty close relationship again. Her step-sons adore him." Emily shrugged and looked up at Sharon. "Dad has been sober off and on over the years, some stretches longer than others. The thing is, when he's doing well and he's on the wagon, he doesn't reach out to Ricky or me to mend the fences. He stays hidden in shame or fear. We only see him when he's run out of options and he's crawling back to you for help; or when he's on a gambling winning streak and he wants to brag about his good luck, but that inevitably ends when he loses it all and he leaves again. Even after all that, I still love him and I hold on to the hope that one day he will clean up his act for good and decide he wants a serious relationship with Ricky and me. Talking with Nicole makes me feel less foolish about holding on to that hope because she has that now."

Sharon had remained quiet, letting Emily say all she needed to say, but the more her daughter talked, the more her eyes began to fill with tears. She found herself thinking again if life would've turned out differently for her children, had she completely ended her marriage sooner. Perhaps Jack wouldn't have been in and out of their lives, and they wouldn't be holding on to false hope. Or it might have given him the push he needed to completely get his act together and be the dad they needed. She will never know. "I'm sorry honey. I so very much wish things could've been different for you and your brother. Things didn't turn out quite like I envisioned." Her voice hitched at the end when a lump got caught in her throat.

"Don't cry, mom. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad. You were amazing when we were growing up, and we never wanted or needed for anything." She paused momentarily and attempted to insert some levity into the conversation. "Except maybe for a dad, but I don't think you have the right equipment for that." When Sharon just rolled her eyes and slightly chuckled Emily smiled in relief that her attempt was partially successful.

"I'm glad that you have Nicole to talk this through with, and she can offer you a different perspective, one I am unable to provide." She reached over and grasped Emily's hand and give it a firm squeeze.

"Yea, she's pretty great. She's got a mean shopping habit that just might rival Gavin's." Emily popped the last bite of pastry into her mouth.

"I don't believe that for a second." Sharon brushed the crumbs that landed on the table into her hand and deposited them on her plate.

"You should come with us sometime and see for yourself," Emily said before finishing off the last of her wine and reaching over to collect her mother's empty glass.

"I think I would like that." Sharon stood and gathered their plates to put them in the dishwasher.

Emily had moved to the sink to rinse out their wine glasses. "You know, mom," when Sharon closed the dishwasher door and turned toward her, she carefully continued, "you and Dad have been divorced for about a year now, and were separated _long_ before that."

"Yes," Sharon drew out the word in a tone of voice that warned that Emily should proceed with caution.

"You're not obligated to wait for Dad to get his act together anymore. You're allowed to move on and be happy. You deserve that chance just as much as anyone."

Sharon sighed heavily. "Em, I stopped waiting on your father long ago, and I have been happy. You kids have made me very happy. My career has made me happy."

"It's not the same." She gave her mother a very pointed look.

"I know that." Sharon rubbed her lips together and debated how much she wanted to share with her daughter. "I haven't felt the need or desire to move on until-" She paused not knowing what she wanted to say next. When Emily raised her eyebrows in question, she simply added, "Recently."

A huge smile erupted on Emily's face. Sharon could only imagine where her thoughts were headed. She held up a finger in warning. "Don't. Just... I can see those wheels turning, and please cease and desist whatever thoughts you may have immediately. It may seem like a long time coming for you, but this is a relatively new feeling for me and I need to figure out how _I feel_ and what _I want._ Besides, there are a great many things I don't mind sharing with you, but this isn't one of them."

Emily deflated. "Fine. I understand. Just know I support whatever decision you come to." When her eyes glittered playfully and a mischievous smirk formed on her daughter's lips, Sharon knew the next words out her mouth weren't going to be good. "Especially if it has anything to do with a certain silver fox."

Sharon groaned. "I'm going to call it a night." She placed her hands on either side of Emily's face and tugged her head down to place a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, even though you're rotten."

Emily just laughed in response. Sharon turned on her heel and headed toward her room. A nice hot bath sounded really nice at the moment, and like she had told her daughter, she had a lot to think about. She was currently thinking about what Emily had said earlier. Jack and Andy may have similar pasts, but they have lived vastly differently lives since then. Nicole had given Andy a second chance. Perhaps he could be her second chance, too.

-TBC-


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm still so frakkin excited about last night's episode I can't stand it! She finally got the promotion she deserved! YAY! Mary was phenomenal in that scene.**

 **Now we have a horribly long hiatus to get through -_-**

 **As always, thank you for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. Y'all are truly wonderful and appreciated so very much. To the guest reviewer that professed your love: You make me blush. I love you, too :)**

 **Huge thanks to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta and for just being amazing in general.**

CHAPTER SEVEN

Andy was sitting in his office going through his inventory sheets, determining what ingredients needed to be ordered for the following week. It was one of his least favorite parts of the job, right next to the occasional nightly deposit he made, but it was necessary. There weren't any catering events coming up, so it made the process much easier. Once he was finished with the order, he was done for the night. He was looking forward to a relaxing night in his recliner.

Angela poked her head in the door. "Hey, table twenty-three would like to extend their gratitude."

Andy looked up over the rim of his glasses and frowned. "Why are you telling me? They usually pass the message along through the server."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Does it matter? Just get out there and listen to them sing your praises."

Andy grunted as he made a notation in the margin of one of the pages. "I'm kinda busy right now as you can see." He waved her off with a flick of his wrist. "Get Tony to go out there. He's been taking care of everything for the last half hour anyways."

She had fully stepped into the office and was now standing with her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "They specifically asked for you. Can you just get off your ass and go?"

Andy thought she was being awfully forceful right now and he didn't understand what the big deal was. He pulled off his glasses and threw them on the desk, knocking over the container of pens and pencils. "Fine, I'll go. Only because you're being particularly pushy right now and I know if I don't, you'll stand here all night harassing me. I have better things to do than to listen to you nag."

She reached over and smacked him on the arm. "Shut up. You just wait. You will be the one singing _my_ praises later," she said rather smugly.

Andy rolled his eyes as he stood and put his chef coat back on. "You're delusional and pushy tonight. You feeling okay?"

Angela reached over and tugged the hem of his coat down, attempting to remove some of the wrinkles. She then brushed imaginary lint off his shoulders. "I'm fine. You on the other hand-" she paused looking around the office. "Do you have a different coat? One you haven't been wearing all night?"

"Will you stop?" Andy swatted her hands away. "Of course I don't. This is what I wore when I came to work today to _do my job_." He emphasized the last few words to prove his point. "Now, if you would stop, I could go do what you asked." He placed his hands on her shoulders and maneuvered her to the side so he could step around her. As he opened the office door she heard him grumble, "Next time just send the server to tell me. You're a pain in the ass."

"You love me anyways," she called out to him before the door shut behind him. Then, speaking to herself, she added, "You're going to love me even more once you get out there."

Andy glanced at his watch as he made his way out of the kitchen. He had worked the lunch shift and through the dinner rush. It was only an hour until closing, later than he realized, and it only made him feel more exhausted. It all melted away, however, when he looked up at the table that had requested his presence. He couldn't see her face, but he'd recognize her anywhere. It also helped that he could see Emily as she talked animatedly to the rest of the table's occupants. When he recognized the young man sitting next to her, his brow knit in confusion. It had been a couple of years since Andy last saw him, and he had assumed something had happened to him or he had moved on.

When Emily caught sight of him, she paused mid-sentence and a huge smile erupted on her face. She eagerly waved him over. So this is why Angela dragged him from the back. They didn't actually request his presence, but she knew he would want to see Sharon. He would never admit it to his sister, but he did want to sing her praises at the moment.

Sharon had turned to see whom Emily was waving at, and a smile matching her daughter's transformed her face. Andy maintained eye contact with her as he continued to walk towards their table. She heard Ricky ask, "Who's that?" and Emily respond, "Mom's _friend_ Andy I told you about." Sharon refrained from admonishing her daughter and the derisive way she kept saying the word 'friend.' Her kids were going to believe what they wanted, no matter what she said.

When he approached, he addressed them all individually. "Emily. Young man I don't know." His smile widened as he said, "Sharon." Then he turned to the fourth occupant. "Rusty! It's been a while. How have you been, kid?"

The rest of the group turned to look at Rusty, surprised. His cheeks tinted with a light blush. "Hey, Chef. I'm doing really good."

Andy's smile widened. "I'm happy to hear it. You look good, too."

"Yea, well, you look the same." Rusty took a moment to look Andy up and down. "You're still wearing those ridiculous pants, I see."

Andy smirked and retorted back, "You're still the same ol' smart-ass, I see."

Rusty shrugged apologetically. His smart mouth was one of the first things Sharon curbed in his behavior. "Not as often, but sometimes, yea."

The others at the table were still shocked to learn Andy and Rusty knew each other. Ricky was the first to speak up. "Apparently I'm the only person you don't know." He offered his hand to Andy. "I'm Ricky by the way."

"It's nice to meet you," Andy said as he grasped the younger man's hand.

"Andy, how do you know Rusty?" Emily was looking between the two of them. Sharon still seemed bewildered because she had yet to speak up.

Andy noticed how nervous Rusty quickly became. He didn't know much about the kid, but he did know Rusty didn't like sharing much about his personal life. He shrugged and kept his answer as vague as possible. "We met a couple of years ago when Rusty would stop by every so often to pick up some to-go food."

Sharon could see Rusty's tense form sag in relief when Andy didn't go into much detail. Ricky seemed to notice, too, because he was again the one to break the silence. "Well, we are here celebrating Little Brother's extremely wise decision to become a member of this family a year ago."

Rusty snorted. "I question just how wise it was every day."

Emily threw her arms around his shoulders. "You know you love us."

Andy laughed as he watched Rusty shrug Emily off, but he still had a small smile on his face. "That's really great news, Rusty. I'm really happy everything appears to have worked out for you."

Sharon seemed to have finally found her voice. "We are extremely happy and lucky that he agreed to join our family." She was smiling fondly at Rusty. He ducked his head, expressing his discomfort with all the extra attention he was receiving.

He plucked a breadstick from the basket in the middle of the table. They had finished their meal and their plates were cleared, but the server had left the breadsticks. "Yea, well I wanted burgers, but Emily threatened to beat me with her toe shoes if I didn't choose to come here."

He also didn't expect to see Andy. Rusty was under the impression the man was always in the kitchen or his office. He knew that Ricky and Emily were scheming to get their mom together with some guy, but, despite their pleading, he told them he didn't want to have any part in their plan. Meddling in Sharon's life was not his idea of smart. If it were, he would've known Andy was the friend that Emily was referring to, and he would've put up a little more resistance. If he had also known that coming to the restaurant was part of the plan, he would have insisted on going to get burgers. It's not that he didn't like Andy. From what Rusty knew about him, he seemed like a really nice guy. Rusty just didn't like when he was confronted with his past and time on the streets.

"Emily Marie! Tell me you did not." Sharon swatted her with the napkin from her lap.

"What? I wouldn't-" She was stammering. She couldn't even deny it.

"Just for that you will be buying all of his burgers for the next month." Sharon was using what her kids referred to as the 'mom finger.' When she aimed it at you, it was best not to argue.

"Fine." Emily shrugged casually. It was a small price to pay considering she got what she wanted.

"You think you got off easy, but you have no idea just how many burgers he eats in a week alone. You may have to hold off another month before renting your own place." She was refolding the napkin with a smirk. She always admired how her children thought they could pull one over on her.

When Ricky chortled at his sister's punishment, Sharon turned to him. "Don't for a second think that I believe your sister concocted this plan on her own. You will be buying his burgers for the following two months after that."

"What?" Ricky had practically shrieked before lowing his voice to a more respectable volume. "She's the one that threatened him, and it was her idea. I just agreed to it. Why do I have to pay for two months?"

This time it was Rusty that chimed in. "Because you're the computer science nerd that makes the big bucks." His eyes gleamed as he took a big bite out of a breadstick.

Ricky slumped back into his chair. This is what he got for becoming a little too interested in this so-called friend of their mother's that Emily had mentioned. Now he was being punished for helping give his mom a nudge in the right direction.

"You can gloat all you want, I'm pretty sure part of the deal was not only coming here to eat, but that you also didn't rat us out to mom. Keep that in mind when I'm dancing on your skull later," Emily mumbled as she angrily broke her breadstick into smaller pieces.

Rusty's eyes widened as he gulped down the large bite he had just taken. He turned to Sharon in hopes that she would rescue him. He didn't know from personal experience, but Ricky had complained on numerous occasions about how painful those toe shoes could be. He swore it did permanent damage.

Sharon turned to Emily and smiled sweetly. "With all the money I'm going to be saving these next few months, I'm really looking forward to buying that Louis Vuitton bag you have been admiring lately. It will go really nicely with the rest of my collection." Her tone belied the threat she was directing toward her daughter. "Before you decide to physically maim you brother, keep in mind that I wouldn't mind buying a new pair of shoes to match that handbag."

Andy had to bite his cheek to prevent the laughter from spilling out. He was getting the impression that Sharon was someone you really didn't want to mess with, but that didn't seem to stop her kids.

"Mom was just telling us how her caterer for the charity event has backed out... again." Ricky had leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table with his chin in his hand, looking at Andy expectantly.

"Andy, you wouldn't happen to know anyone that could help, would you?" Emily practically fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"Richard. Emily," Sharon said with more than a hint of warning in her tone.

"Come on, mom. You were just saying the only reason you were having the event catered was because some of the kids from the youth shelter were going to be there. Don't give up on them now." It seemed Rusty had forgotten the earlier threats, and decided to join his siblings in tormenting their mother. Her kids were ganging up on her, and she didn't appreciate it.

"That was a low blow." She was running a finger along the rim of her water glass, avoiding looking at her wayward children. She was irritated with them for interfering, and for reasons other than the charity event, but they were also right. She was really hoping to find a caterer. She was getting desperate enough that she had considered ordering dozens of pizzas. The kids from the shelter might like that, but those bidding on the art would not.

Andy had to admire their tenacity. Angela would be pleased, too. If he didn't know better, he would think they were all in on this together. He decided to spare Sharon any further torment. "We cater. I'd be happy to help."

Sharon looked up at him in surprise. "Andy, I can't ask that of you, especially so last minute. The event is next weekend. I know preparation for these things takes time."

Andy waved off her concern. "Well, you're in luck. I was working on the food order for the upcoming week and haven't placed it yet. It won't be difficult to add a few more things to it. I know for a fact we don't have any events coming up, so the catering equipment is available."

Sharon opened her mouth to interject, but Andy didn't give her the chance. "I will just need to inform Jenna, the catering coordinator, so she can work out the non-food related details with you. It's really not a problem, Sharon." He briefly laid a hand on her shoulder, but quickly removed it in fear of overstepping. "I will just need to know how many people you're expecting and what you had in mind for the menu so I can place the order for ingredients. We can get the ball rolling tonight."

"See, mom. Andy's got it covered. It sounds like you two have a lot to discuss to prepare for it." Emily turned in her seat to grab her purse off the back of the chair.

"Yea, so we will leave you to it. The TV show we all like is coming on in about an hour and we don't want to miss it. You don't mind if we catch you later at the condo, do you?" Ricky tossed the napkin from his lap on the table and stood.

Rusty wasn't quite catching on. "We record that show on the DVR and it comes on-" he ended his statement with a grunt. Someone, most likely Emily, had kicked him under the table. "Right. We really don't want to miss it, mom." He was not successful in hiding his sarcasm.

Sharon's eyes narrowed at her three children. She was not buying their little charade. "I thought you all wanted dessert?"

Ricky patted his stomach. "I think we had too many breadsticks. Maybe next time."

All three kids were standing and took turns giving her a hug. They really weren't leaving her a choice. She now understood why Ricky vehemently insisted on bringing two cars. They planned on ditching her all along. "I guess I will be seeing you all at home then. I shouldn't be long."

"Take your time." Emily was just a little too gleeful, obviously proud that her plan had worked.

Andy watched as the kids headed to the exit. As soon as the kids were out of earshot he said, "Your kids are about as subtle as my sister." He nervously chuckled and ran his thumb over an eyebrow. "That's not saying much."

"Hmm." When the hum was her only response, Andy looked down to find her looking at him expectantly. When he only raised his eyebrow in question, she got straight to the point. "Exactly how do you know my son?"

-TBC-

 **A/N: I know I have been teasing y'all since the beginning, but I promise the next chapter will be well worth the wait. It's mostly done and in the editing phase. It will be a long one. I plan to post it sometime tomorrow. Please let me know what you thought about this chapter. Your reviews are life!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Oh my goodness! I am overwhelmed by the reviews. Y'all are truly amazing. It's so rewarding to know that readers enjoy the story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Actually, your kind words make it even better! Each one has me grinning from ear to ear! THANK YOU!**

 **So here's the next chapter, and as promised, it's a longer one. I hope it meets your expectations.**

 **An HUGE thank you to IReadAndWriteSometimes for the beta, and for being my sounding board. When I say you readers should also thank her for this story, I really REALLY mean it. She keeps me on track and gives me encouragement when needed. She's also very good at catching the mistakes my mombrain makes... and there are several. She's amazing.**

CHAPTER EIGHT

 _"Exactly how do you know my son?"_

Andy sighed. He pulled out one of the recently vacated chairs and took a seat across from Sharon. As he sat, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Not many people other than his family messaged him. "Sorry, just want to make sure this isn't my daughter or an emergency. I don't get very many texts." He pulled out the phone to find the message was from his sister. He suppressed an eye roll when he read it.

 _*Her check is already settled. Enjoy your talk._ _You owe me*_

"Everything okay?" Sharon asked with a touch of concern when she noticed his brow furrow.

"Yea, just Ang being her usual self." He shook his head and pocketed his phone. He was beginning to wonder if they had in fact planned this whole scheme with Angela. He just didn't know how.

Sharon laughed softly. She briefly thought that his sister liked to torment him just as much as her kids enjoyed doing the same to her. She pushed that thought aside and once again inquired, "So, you know Rusty?"

"Yea, I encountered him outside the restaurant one night." He wanted to leave it at that, but knew she wasn't going to be happy with another vague answer. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table and ran a hand down his face. "I park my car out back." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating toward the back of the restaurant. "I was leaving late one night, and I found him looking through the dumpsters, most likely for food. He took off before I could say anything."

When it seemed like he was finished, Sharon prodded further. "If he took off, how did you know his name and how does he know you?"

Andy grunted. He was beginning to see where her kids got their persistence. "I was working late again the next night. I put together a couple of to-go boxes with several different things. I tied it up tight in a bag and left it on top of the dumpster. One of the kitchen guys has a problem with not securely shutting the door when he leaves for the night..."

 _. . ._

 _Approximately 3 years earlier_

 _Andy propped the door to his office open to let the small area ventilate. The AC system automatically shut off at a certain time to save on energy, or something like that. All Andy knew is it got hot as hell in his tiny office. The last of the kitchen crew bid Andy a good night as he sat back down at his desk to work on the nightly deposit. He really hated doing these things, and he was stuck doing them the entire week. Mark took Angela on vacation, and the Assistant Manager they had hired was on paternity leave. His daughter had come a few weeks early. Andy couldn't really begrudge any of them the time off, but he still cursed them each night when he sat down to count the money and fill out the forms. It took too much damn time._

 _He was only five minutes into the hour-plus long ordeal when a to-go bag was unceremoniously dropped on top of the paperwork and stacks of money. "If I wanted hand-outs, I would stand on the corner like everyone else."_

 _Andy looked up to see that kid from the previous night standing with his arms crossed and a disgusted look on his face. He tampered down the annoyance he felt and picked up the bag and dropped it on the desk next to the kid. "It's not a hand-out, it's leftover trash."_

 _"That you happen to wrap up nicely instead of discarding in the garbage bags with the rest? I saw you place it on top of the dumpster, mister." He shook his head to get the hair out of his eyes._

 _Andy shrugged his shoulders. "They took the trash out before I could throw this out. So I bagged it and took it out separately."_

 _"Sure they did." Rusty uncrossed his arms and stood straighter. "I don't take money or food without working for it. So you can keep your leftovers." He pushed the bag towards the older man again._

 _Andy wanted to keep a lid on his temper, but this kid and his smart mouth were making it really hard. "Fine. You can_ work _for the left over trash." He wheeled back in his chair and kicked an empty 5-gallon bucket that was behind him toward the kid. "I haven't cleared the coins out of the fountain in several months, and I'm not looking forward to wading through the water to do it. I have about another hour here. Knock yourself out."_

 _"What?" Rusty was momentarily stunned. Usually when he had to work for money or food, he was asked to do entirely different things._

 _"There's a fountain at the front of the restaurant where people toss in coins. They need to be cleared out. You got about an hour." He turned back to the deposit paperwork and ignored the kid as he stood there staring blankly at him. After a moment he picked up the bucket and headed out of the office._

 _It was just under an hour later, while Andy was locking up the safe, that the kid returned lugging the bucket. He had his shoes in his hand and his shirt was wet in random places, most likely from using it to dry off his legs and feet. When he dropped the bucket inside the door, Andy could see it was about half full. It must've been longer than he realized since the coins were last cleaned out. There was easily a few hundred dollars in there, especially with all the silver coins he was seeing. Julio was going to be really happy to get that donation once it was all rolled. He liked to get the kids at the shelter something special when Andy dropped off the donation from the fountain coins._

 _"When was the last time you actually cleaned that out?" Rusty was now putting his shoes back on._

 _Andy didn't appreciate his tone; even if the kid did a job he was dreading. He just shrugged as he put on his jacket. "A while apparently."_

 _"Yea, apparently." He stood there with his hands in his pockets. "What do you do with all of this change?"_

 _Andy was beginning to realize that this kid didn't know how to speak without sounding like a smart-ass, so he found himself answering in a derisive tone. "Isn't there a sign out there that says it goes to charity?"_

 _"Well, yea, but that could just be a front to get people to give you their money and you keep it for yourself."_

 _The kid had a point. "I might be an ass, kid, but I'm not that big of an ass. I actually_ do _give it to charity."_

 _Rusty looked like he still didn't believe him. "Which charity?"_

 _"What's with the twenty questions?" When the kid just looked at him, still expecting an answer, Andy found himself responding. "A youth shelter. You might know it. Covenant House. I happen to know the guy who runs it, Julio."_

 _Rusty rolled his eyes and leaned his hip against the doorframe. "You're just saying that because I'm a kid and you're hoping I will forget about the possibility that you actually do keep the money for yourself."_

 _"Maybe. I guess you will just have to ask Julio about Chef Andy next time you see him and see what he says." He patted the pockets of his jacket to locate his car keys. "What's your name, kid?"_

 _"Why do you want to know?" Rusty stood up straight and his posture turned defensive._

 _Andy rolled his eyes. This kid was extremely suspicious and paranoid. Andy had to keep in mind it was probably for a good reason. "I like to know the name of all my employees. Besides, you now know my name, it's only fair I know yours."_

 _He skeptically eyed Andy a few more seconds before answering, "Rusty."_

 _"Well, Rusty," Andy picked up the bag of food and handed it to the kid, "here are your hour's wages. I will be here again tomorrow night. If you stop by you can earn another hour's wages because all of those coins now need to be rolled."_

 _Rusty took the bag. "Thanks, Chef." It was the first time he kept the sarcasm out of his tone, but then he had to add, "Those are some ridiculous pants you have on, dude."_

 _Andy groaned as he turned out the lights in his office and locked the door._

. . .

Considering the various methods Rusty used to survive on the streets, Sharon wasn't certain what she expected Andy to say about how the two had come to meet, but it wasn't this. Rusty had mentioned that other than Julio, there were very few people who had helped him without expecting something in return. Initially, it alarmed her that Rusty had never mentioned Andy, and she questioned if Andy was being completely truthful. Then she considered the fact that Rusty rarely talked about his time on the street, whether it was good or bad. He also would've been embarrassed to admit he was looking for food in a dumpster. Ultimately, she didn't think that Andy had a reason to fabricate the story. "So did he come back the next night?"

Andy nodded his head in affirmation. "He stopped by every night the rest of that week when I was there. When he finished rolling the coins, I found other small jobs for him to do around the place. I let the managers know to look out for him during the nights I didn't work and what to do if he stopped by, but they never saw him." Andy reached into the breast pocket of his uniform coat, and pulled out a toothpick. "However, every night I was there, he would come in through the back door. I assume he knew what my car looked like." Rather than placing the toothpick in his mouth, he began rolling it between two fingers. "After about 4 months, he just stopped coming. I didn't know what happened to him. I was going to ask Julio, but I was honestly afraid of what he might say. I knew Rusty had gotten caught up with one of the dirt bag kids from the area a few times. I thought-" He just shook his head. He couldn't finish the thought. Instead he looked up at Sharon and smirked. "I'm guessing that's when you found him?"

Sharon had been leaning forward, listening intently. "The timing sounds about right." A bright smile transformed her face. "I adopted him a year ago, but he came to live with me just over a year and a half before that."

"I honestly don't know how you gained his trust. I have never met a more suspicious, smartass kid in my life." He finally popped the toothpick in his mouth. "He would ask a ton of questions, but he would shut down the moment I asked him anything in return."

"He must've trusted you to an extent, though, because he kept coming back. I know my son." Her gaze was confident, and she looked at him shrewdly. "Gaining even the smallest amount of Rusty's trust tells me a lot about you."

Andy shrugged. "I'm still thinking you're some kind of miracle worker."

"It helps that I first met Rusty when he was about eleven." Sharon's lips twitched at Andy's puzzled look. "In high school Ricky had a friend, Adam, from his baseball team that would come over most weekends. He was required to bring his younger brother, Aaron, most times. The boys had been coming over to my house for a couple of years. Then one day Aaron brought Rusty along."

"That was kind of you to open your house to all of them." He rolled the toothpick around in his mouth. "Not everyone would do that."

Sharon found herself momentarily distracted by Andy's mouth. She had to look away from him so she could answer. "Adam and Aaron's mother was a single-mom working long hours to support her children." She gave a timid smile. "I could relate. I didn't know much about Rusty's home life back then because he would never say much. After a few months, however, he stopped coming."

Andy frowned. "What happened?"

"Rusty and his mom just up and moved." She indicated with her hand before dropping it back to her lap. "Aaron was his one friend during the short time they went to the same school. When he moved, he lost his friend, and stopped coming."

"So," Andy drew out the word as he processed everything, "how did he come to live with you several years later?"

"I had just inherited the gallery, and I was staying late one evening going through everything when I heard a commotion outside." She placed the napkin from her lap on the tabletop, and leaned forward again to continue. "I opened the side entrance door and stumbled on to some kids spray painting some graffiti on the building."

Andy gave her a knowing look. "Let me guess, Rusty was caught up with a couple of those dirt bag kids I mentioned."

Sharon tilted her head side-to-side. Agreeing, but not fully agreeing. "He was more of an observer than an active participant. I think they roped him into being the lookout." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "When I arrived the next morning intending to clean up the mess, Rusty was already there trying to scrub it off, unsuccessfully I might add." She laughed softly at the memory. "He recognized me the night before and felt bad because I was 'always so kind' to him." She shrugged one shoulder.

He raised one eyebrow. "He just went home with you without any resistance?" Andy found that hard to believe, even if she did know the kid from before. He seemed distrustful of everyone.

Sharon made a sound that was half laugh, half groan. "No. He did not make it that easy on me. I had to wear him down."

Andy smirked. He was pleased to know the kid didn't only give him trouble. His expression turned curious again. "So how did he end up on the streets in the first place? What happened to his mom?"

"Drug overdose." Sharon said quietly. "He went into the system, but after being shuffled through a few bad homes, at fifteen, he decided the streets were preferable."

"That's rough." Andy shook his head. "Those homes must have been horrible if he preferred the streets. Julio has mentioned what some of the kids do to survive-" he cleared his throat instead of finishing his statement. He was sure she knew; he didn't need to verbalize it.

"Yes." She was no longer maintaining eye contact with him. She never liked to think about what her son had done to survive. Then she allowed a small smile to break through. "I have a feeling those nights he stopped by here, were some of his better ones."

"I hope so. I would've like to have done more, but," he shrugged, "he only accepted so much help."

She hummed. She sat up straighter as a thought stuck her. "How do you know Julio?"

Andy smirked and rolled the toothpick around his mouth again. "I met him a few years back through my grumpy old neighbor, Provenza."

Sharon really wanted to snatch the toothpick away. It kept drawing her attention to his mouth. "Provenza?"

Andy grunted. "Yea, Louie Provenza, but don't you dare call him Louie. Only those who outrank him or have divorced him are allowed to utter, much less think, his first name." Andy raised his hands as though to say _it's ridiculous, I know._ "His words, not mine."

"How does one outrank him?" she asked curiously.

"He's a detective, technically a Lieutenant, with the LAPD." Andy shook his head and chuckled. "He even makes his grandkids call him Lieutenant."

Sharon giggled. She was getting the impression this Provenza guy was quite the character. "How does he know Julio then?"

"Each Christmas he dresses as Santa to deliver presents to some of the youth homeless shelters in the area, and one was Covenant House. One year he couldn't get out of work and he forced me to do it for him." Andy's smirk turned to a frown. "Except he wouldn't let me borrow his Santa costume. He said the kids would know I wasn't the real deal because they knew him." He paused, not sure if he wanted to tell her this part of the story. "He forced me to dress up as one of Santa's little elf helpers. Made sure I told them Santa couldn't make it that year, so I had to stand in."

Sharon covered her mouth with her hand when she snorted. "I'm sorry. It's just that creates quite the mental picture." Her eyes glittered happily as she looked over at him. "It's even better than picturing you wearing a ridiculous chef hat."

He was scowling at her and it only made her laugh more. "You laugh, but Will Ferrell really has nothing on me." he said smugly. "And to think I had considered putting on that chef hat for you."

"Oh, no. I'm sorry. Forget I said anything." Her apology fell short when she dissolved into a fit of giggles again. She would not be getting the idea of him in an elf costume out of her head anytime soon.

Andy couldn't help but laugh with her. "Anyways, I met Julio then. We all catch a game together sometimes. I try and help out with the shelter when I get a chance. Usually it's just the donations from the coin fountain."

She sighed as her laughter subsided. "I know that every little bit helps."

"Which is why you're doing the charity event?" It was really more of a statement than a question.

"Yes." She nodded once. "Rusty doesn't talk much about his time on the streets, but I do know that Julio helped him out when he was in a real bind, even when the shelter was full and they had run out of supplies for the day. Julio never turned him away." It was apparent she admired the man for his work.

"Yea, he's a great guy that way." He leaned back in his chair and crossed one ankle over his knee. "You said you inherited the gallery? You haven't always owned it?"

Sharon followed his lead, and settled into the chair more comfortably. She turned slightly and draped her arm over the back of the chair. "No, I gained ownership shortly before Rusty came to live with me. A long time family friend of my parents, he was like an uncle, left it to me. He had no kids and I had helped him organize most of the gallery's exhibitions over the years."

"Did you always want a career in the art world?" He made a motion with his hand as though he was painting a canvas.

Sharon laughed mirthlessly. "No. I was pre-law during undergrad, but I had a minor in art history. I got married shortly after graduation. The plan was for me to work while he went to law school, and then he'd return the favor. Arthur, the family friend, used his connections to get me a job at the LA County Museum."

"I guess the favor was never returned." Andy rubbed the tip of his chin. It wouldn't be the first time he heard of a woman's plans being set aside for a man's.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You guessed correctly." She was straightening the utensils that still lay in front of her on the table. "I worked my way up at the museum until I became the director. I retired about six months ago, and now the gallery has my full attention."

"That's an awfully long way from law school." He hated that her plans for life were derailed by her ex. "Do you ever regret not becoming a lawyer?"

"At first," she tilted her head from side to side, "yes, but I began to really enjoy my job, and lawyers a lot less." She smirked. "Except Gavin. My annoyance with him has nothing do with his profession, and everything to do with Gavin just being... Gavin."

"Where did you find him? He's-"Andy clamped his mouth down on the toothpick as he figured out how to politely express his thoughts. He was only able to come up with, "He seems to be an odd duck."

"That he is." Sharon giggled at Andy's description of her friend. "I met him at university. We had several classes together, and he was just always there offering his opinion." She feigned exasperation and rolled her eyes. "I couldn't get rid of him, even when he went on to law school and I didn't. Now he offers his opinion on my life, whether I want it or not."

Andy laughed dryly. "That sounds like Angela. She always knows what's best for me."

His mentioning of his sister reminded Sharon of their first encounter. "You mentioned before that you bought the restaurant from her?"

"I did. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. I bought the place to help relieve the stress, and so they could afford her medical bills."

Sharon understood more and more how generous his heart was. "That was very kind of you. I'm sor-"

Andy waved off her apology before she could finish. "She's in complete remission and she's been doing great. She and Mark still help out _a lot_ with the business aspect of things. I couldn't do it without them. It turned out for the best."

"You've really done a lot with the place." She looked around and admired the surrounding area. "I remember back before all of the renovations." Her gaze became unfocused as though she was conjuring up images of how it used to look.

Andy looked around, doing the same. The place looked completely different. They had opened up the main seating area, added in the fountain, and updated the interior decorations. "We were bursting at the seams and there was always such a long wait to be seated." He shrugged. "Expanding seemed like a good idea. The shop next to us went out of business, so I bought the space. It was perfect timing really." He pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and began rolling it between his fingers again. "Angela received a clean bill of health. She always wanted to have a wine shop, but she and Mark didn't want the added stress of a remodel when the place was theirs. She asked me sweetly for once, so I indulged her."

"You really love you sister, don't you?" She smiled warmly at him.

Andy gave a crooked grin. "She is the biggest pain in my ass, but yea, I do." His gaze turned distant. "When everyone else had given up on me, she stuck by me."

She swallowed thickly not sure if it was good to bring it up. "When you were drinking?"

He let out a deep sigh. He looked her directly in the eye. "She and Provenza were my only support for a while. I burned bridges with everyone else because I preferred a bottle to my family."

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. She had experience with this from the other side. "It's hard to see someone you love throwing their life away, and even harder to let your children bear witness."

"I don't blame Sandra, my ex-wife, for one moment for keeping the kids away when I was drinking," he said sincerely. "I was an ass. Even if I was sober, I don't know why Angela took a chance on me." He shook his head, still in disbelief after all the years.

She leaned forward again and rested her chin in her hand. "Is that how you started working at the restaurant?"

He massaged the back of his neck as if to work out the kinks. It was more of a nervous habit. "Yea, it is. They had only opened up the restaurant the year before and their cook wasn't working out. I didn't have a full-time job at the time." He dropped his hand back down to his lap. "I know a lot of traditional recipes and I really enjoy cooking. I hadn't been sober but a few months at the time, and it wasn't my first attempt to stay on the wagon, but she gave me the benefit of the doubt."

"How did," she paused and smirked to herself when thinking about how Andy described his neighbor, "Lieutenant Provenza help you out?"

Andy chuckled mirthlessly. "He was just my crabby old neighbor that would come over to complain about my grass being overgrown." Andy rolled his eyes and his voice changed to mimic the old man. "If he was able to work sixty hours a week solving homicides _and_ keep his lawn mowed, I could do the same making sandwiches in the kitchen."

Sharon giggled at his impersonation. The more Andy described Provenza, the more Sharon wanted to meet him to see how much Andy was exaggerating. "He sounds pleasant."

"I've never met anyone with a sunnier disposition in my life," he deadpanned. "Angela met him when I first moved in, and the two of them hit it off. I'm convinced she told him to harass me at every opportunity. I rarely come out unscathed when those two are together."

"I think it's her sisterly duty to keep you on your toes by any means possible." She smiled sweetly at him, but her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Andy huffed out a short laugh. "I'm sure she will agree with you." His expression turned pensive as he continued. "Anyways, one night after drowning my sorrows in several shots of bourbon at the bar, I got put in to a cab." He paused and looked just over her shoulder, unable to maintain eye contact. "It was enough of a habit that the bartender knew my address."

It was said with so much shame it made her heart clench. She reached out and briefly squeezed his hand that was sitting on the table, encouraging him to continue.

Andy's gaze returned to her and he gave a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I didn't make it into my house that night. I ended up passing out on Provenza's lawn instead. I woke up to him spraying me down with the water hose." He was rushing through the last of the story, wanting it to end. "He got me into my house, and while I showered and changed, he made the world's strongest pot of coffee. He then loaded me up in his car and took me to a meeting."

Sharon sat there mildly stunned by his confession. She opened her mouth to speak several times, but didn't know which thought to vocalize first. It's not that she was surprised or appalled by his story. Most alcoholics had similar stories, if not more horrifying, than the one he had just recounted, her ex-husband included. What stunned her was how open and up front he was about his past. It was a novel experience for her to not be wondering if the man in front of her was hiding something or misrepresenting the facts of the situation.

Andy watched as she processed the information he just gave her. He didn't want to scare her away before he had the chance to get to know her better, but at the same time he wanted to be honest. He didn't want the start of whatever they had, friendship or something more, to start with secrets. One thing he did know was that addicts had a way of manipulating those closest to them, and he figured she had experienced that many times with her ex. So he waited for her to collect her thoughts. When she finally did speak, it was not what he expected her to say.

"The way you have described the Lieutenant, I would not have expected him to be so helpful." She spoke hesitantly as if she wasn't even sure it's what she wanted to say.

"Don't get me wrong, he's a cranky old coot, but he also has the biggest heart. Just don't expect him to offer his help without an exorbitant amount of complaining in the process." He gave her a crooked grin. "I didn't mention that my ears were ringing by the time he dropped me off at that meeting. I didn't think a hangover headache could get any worse. I was so very wrong." He shuddered as though he could remember the headache like it was yesterday.

"Still," she gave him a knowing look, "it was very kind of him to help you get back on your feet again."

"It was," Andy agreed. "Though he grumbled and nagged me the entire time, he never once judged me. Told me it may have seemed like I destroyed and lost everything important to me, but I still had a chance to fix it." He looked at the toothpick in his hand. He almost put it back in his mouth, but decided to pocket it instead. "One of his old partners struggled with alcoholism, and it ruined the man's life and career. Provenza doesn't talk about it much, but I know it's why he was so persistent and made sure I went to meetings."

"It's difficult to watch those you love destroy their life. You do everything possible to help, but it's not always appreciated." Her brows furrowed as she recalled the unpleasant memories. "You're seen as demanding and expecting too much. Then you're the one to blame."

Andy's hand tightened into a fist. "Your ex-husband?"

"Yes, I was the cliché nagging wife that drove her husband to drink," she deadpanned.

Andy clenched his jaw. It was a good thing he pocketed his toothpick or he might've snapped it in half. "Please tell me you don't believe that." He reached across the table and squeezed the hand that was resting on the tabletop. "Addicts are notorious for manipulating and blaming others, especially family."

She squeezed his hand back. "Only at first." She removed her hand from his grasp and sat up straight in the chair. "Then he left, but not before he lost our entire savings in one night on a gambling addiction that, until that moment, he kept well hidden from me."

"Damn. What a," Andy paused and exhaled on a long breath before adding, "jackass."

Sharon threw her head back in laughter. When her gaze returned forward again, she saw Andy looking at her quizzically. "I'm sorry. It's just funny you used that term not knowing his name is Jack."

It took Andy a moment to realize what she was saying, when he did, he joined her in laughter. His was much more subdued, but he could see the humor in it. "I was honestly thinking of a whole slew of terms, but that one was probably the least offensive." He gave her a crooked grin.

"I'm sure I have thought many of them myself," she admitted. Her eyes were still shining from her laughter.

"It was still insensitive of me." When she only shrugged, he went on to add, "I was mostly absent, holed away in a bar somewhere. I wasn't present for my family, but I always made sure Sandra and the kids had what they needed." He raised one hand. "I'm not trying to excuse my behavior."

She shook her head. "I didn't think you were," she assured him.

"Anyways, I can understand why you divorced him." Sandra had filed when she got tired of waiting on Andy to get his act together. He could only imagine what she would've done if he cleaned out their bank accounts.

Sharon let out a noise that was caught between a laugh and a groan. "I didn't divorce him until years later. We were legally separated much longer than we were married."

Andy didn't get a chance to respond. A man approaching the table halted their conversation. "Hey, Andy. Sorry to interrupt, but we are all done for the night. I left the papers for the food order where you left them. If it's alright with you, I'm gonna head out."

Sharon and Andy simultaneously looked down at their watches and then at the restaurant around them. About two hours had passed since Angela had sent him out to her table. They both had been so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice everyone around them had left. Their little bubble was effectively burst.

Andy pushed back his chair and stood. "I'm sorry. I lost track of time. I will lock everything up. Mark, this is my friend Sharon. Sharon, this is my brother-in-law, Angela's husband, Mark."

"Ah," he held out his hand for her to shake, "the infamous Sharon. It's nice to meet you."

Sharon blushed slightly. She wasn't sure what he meant by infamous. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Your wife is always so lovely when I see her."

Andy snorted, but Mark just ignored him. "She says the same about you. I would love to stay and chat," he turned to Andy and with a smirk, "but I'm actually looking forward to going home to her."

Andy restrained from rolling his eyes. No doubt Mark would be blabbing to Angela just how long he and Sharon sat there talking. He reached out and patted his brother-in-law on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow. Be safe headed home."

Mark nudged Andy back. "You two as well."

"Goodnight." Sharon gave a little wave before picking up her purse. "I really should be going as well. I didn't realize how late it was."

"Before you go, you wanna come back to the office so I can get you Jenna's information for the catering? We can figure out what food you would like to be served." Andy turned and held out his hand, motioning toward the kitchen. He hated that their time was over, he wanted it to last a little longer, even if it was just talking about business.

"Oh!" Sharon tapped her head with her hand, remembering why it was she was talking with Andy in the first place. They had definitely strayed off-topic, and it was her doing. "Yes, that would be a good idea. Thank you for offering to help so last minute. You are a life-saver."

"It's really my pleasure." He guided her towards the kitchen. When they stepped through the doors, he gently grasped her elbow. "Be careful. After they scrub the floors at night, it can be really slippery without the proper footwear."

"Thank you for the warning." She grasped his forearm for extra support. "I most certainly am not wearing appropriate shoes."

Andy wanted to tell her that her heels were suitable for any occasion, and she looked great in them, but he kept his mouth shut. He opened the office door and held it open for her. "Do you know what kind of food you would like to be served at the event?"

Sharon sighed in frustration. "Honestly, no. A professional acquaintance usually does these events for the gallery, and he takes care of it all. I just give him the basic information, and he comes up with the rest." She nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "He backed out once he realized it was for charity, and the usual deep-pocket crowd would not be the only attendees."

Andy frowned. He wanted to say that was a douche thing to do, but refrained. "Well, if you'd like, I can come up with a few different appetizer-type selections to be served. Things that have been a big hit at other functions we have catered." He already had some ideas in mind that he thought would suit the occasion well.

Sharon sagged in relief. "That would be wonderful. I'm sure whatever you come up with, will be great."

Andy got a few more details from her, and then pulled out a business card. "Here's Jenna's contact information so she can get with you and finalize the necessary details. She will probably want to see the space sometime this week." Before handing her the card, he flipped it over and began writing on the back. "This is my cell, just in case you can't reach her for some reason and you have any questions, need anything."

"Thank you, Andy." She accepted the card from him. She pulled out her wallet, pocketed the card and pulled out a different business card. "Can I borrow your pen?" When he handed it to her, she also wrote on the back. "This is my contact information for the gallery, and that is my personal cell on the back." She looked up and smiled shyly at him. "Just in case."

Andy took the card with a huge grin. He placed it in the breast pocket of his jacket. "I will make sure Jenna gets your contact information." He didn't say he would give Jenna the card because he thought he would keep that for himself. Just in case.

. . .

"I wonder what is taking mom so long." Emily looked down at her phone for probably the hundredth time in the last hour. Nicole had texted her earlier to see how their plan had gone, and if she had any new information. The only thing that Emily could tell her was that Angela had fulfilled her part of the plan to get Andy to their table.

Ricky sighed and dropped the remote on the couch beside him. He had given up on flipping through the channels. "I don't know. I thought for sure she would be back by now."

Rusty had escaped to his room over an hour ago. He was tired of dodging their questions about Andy. He was only willing to divulge so much information that involved his past. About the only thing they had gotten from him was 'Andy's a pretty nice guy.' That wasn't enough to satisfy his siblings' curiosity. Ricky and Emily were now both very eager to surreptitiously interrogate their mom about her meeting with Andy. They hoped she and Andy would take the opportunity to talk about more than catering for the charity event. Enough time had passed, however, that they were beginning to worry.

Emily groaned loudly. "I'm about to call her and see what the hold up is."

It's as though Emily's impatience had summoned Sharon. They heard the keys in the lock of the front door. They both tried to act as though they were relaxing on the couch watching TV. They waited as their mother deposited her purse and coat in their usual places.

When Sharon stepped toward the living room, she could tell her two eldest were waiting on her. They attempted to act nonchalant, but were very unsuccessful. She suppressed a smile. "How was the TV show?"

Emily and Ricky looked glanced at one another, momentarily confused. Ricky then remembered the excuse he gave for them to leave the restaurant early. "It was good," he said dismissively. "Did Andy have what you needed?"

The double meaning was not lost on Sharon. If she weren't so amused by her children's charade, she would throttle them for meddling in her life. "Yes, the event will now be catered." She braced a hand against the wall as she removed her heels. "Where's Rusty?"

"He called it an early night." Emily had turned and was now facing the back of the couch, seated on her knees. "What did Andy have to say?"

Sharon wanted to tell Emily her eagerness was showing, instead she simply said, "That his restaurant could cater and he gave me the contact information for the catering coordinator." Before they could ask her anything more, Sharon bid them goodnight. "I'm gonna take Rusty's example, and call it a night." She leaned over and kissed each of them on the top of their head. "Good night. I will see both of you in the morning.

Emily spluttered and looked at Ricky, who shared the same dumbfounded expression. Their mother had shut down their curious inquiries before, but never this quickly. Emily plopped back down on the couch and grumbled incoherently. She picked up her phone to text Nicole.

 _*Mom just made it home. She gave NOTHING away. Maybe you can get more information from you dad.*_

Sharon laughed quietly to herself as she walked down the hall to her bedroom. She had known Ricky and Emily were up to no good. Their plan had worked. She and Andy had sat down and talked for longer than a few passing moments. She was, however, _not_ going to give them the benefit of knowing their plan had worked **.** Or that her interest in Andy had increased, and she was hoping they would get to use their traded cell numbers for more than business reasons.

-TBC-

 **A/N: I hope this was worth the wait. It's probably not the exact ending to the chapter some of you were hoping for, but we will get there, I promise. The show is on hiatus now, so I need something to pass the time. There's a few more chapters to this story, and if you're interested, I'm considering a sequel. Please let me know what you think... about the chapter and anything else!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the slight delay in posting this chapter. I lost part of my document and was unable to recover it, so I had to rewrite it o.O**

 **I know I say this every time, y'all continue to astound me with your amazing reviews. Thank you so much! I always love to hear your thoughts.**

 **Thank you IReadAndWriteSometimes for being an awesome beta and for letting me bounce my ideas off of you.**

CHAPTER NINE

"Flynn!" Provenza barked from the passenger seat. He had been working on a crossword while Andy drove them to their destination. When he realized the car was parked, he looked up and frowned at their location. "What the hell are we doing here?"

Andy rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. If he hadn't just been extremely lucky to get a parking spot on the street when someone pulled away, he would have probably change his mind about this 'guy's day,' and he would have turned around to head back home. It was only a twenty-minute car ride, but Andy had considered kicking out the miserable louse several times along the way. He was questioning why he had even taken pity on the old man in the first place. Provenza had begged Andy to get him out of the house for the day while Patrice's sister visited. Of course, when Provenza retold the story later, he would say it was Andy who needed rescuing.

"You're the one that wanted to get out for the day, so here we are." Andy removed the keys from the ignition and opened the car door.

Provenza threw his crossword and pencil on the dashboard. "I thought you'd take me to a sports bar so I could have a beer and cheeseburger, _without_ Patrice knowing, while we watched whatever game happened to be airing." He unfastened his seatbelt and jerked it away from his body. "Instead you brought me to the movies like we're on a damn date."

Andy shot him a glare over his shoulder before reaching for the door handle to exit the car. He slammed his door shut while he waited for his crotchety neighbor to do the same. He stood with his hands on his hips, scowling at the other man over the hood of the car. "You explicitly mentioned needing to be out of the house the _whole_ afternoon. If I have to suffer almost an entire day with you, it's not going to be sitting at a bar watching you drink and clog your arteries." Once the passenger door was closed, he clicked the lock button on the key fob, and headed to the building's entrance.

"Who cares what you want to do?" Provenza pulled the white bucket hat from his pocket and crammed it onto his head. "Just so you know, I'm getting myself the largest bucket of popcorn and the biggest drink possible, and you're paying." He was shaking his finger at the back of Andy's head.

Andy looked skyward and mumbled to himself, but well within earshot of his companion, "Like I would expect otherwise." When Provenza caught up with him, he added, "For someone who is worried this will look like a date, you're only making it worse."

"You brought me to the movies, Flynn, it doesn't matter what I do or say, this will still look like a date." To prove his point, he flung his hand out indicating the other couples that were standing in the ticket line.

"For the past month, anytime the preview would come on TV when we were watching a game, all I heard you say was 'I want to see that movie' or 'That movie actually looks like it's worth my time'," Andy said while doing his best impersonation of his neighbor. "Forgive me for choosing to do something I thought you might actually enjoy!"

"I would've enjoyed watching it from the comfort of my own home in my recliner. I planned on recording it on my VCR when it eventually aired on the television," Provenza said matter-of-factly. "Now I have to stand in this godforsaken line, in this godforsaken heat, with you," he all but growled out.

"It would be at least two years before it came out on TV for you to record, and you might not even be alive by then. I'm doing you a big favor." When Andy sensed a rebuttal, something equally offensive and smartass of course, he continued, "I got the tickets online already, so you don't have to worry about your delicate fare skin roasting. We can just head straight inside. They have machines to print them off for us."

He walked to one of the entrance doors and held it open. He made a swooping gesture with his hand, indicating for the other man to walk through first. "I'm always a gentleman when I'm on a date," he said sarcastically.

Provenza fluttered his eyelashes, "Thank you, snookums."

Andy couldn't help but chuckle. "You're not right in the head." He shook his head as they headed toward the kiosk to print off the tickets. There were enough machines that the lines were relatively short. They wouldn't have to wait long.

"What's the point of having a ticket booth if you can purchase your ticket with a credit card on these machines?" Provenza looked left and right at the row of machines and people standing at them. Every new piece of technology he came across never failed to make him feel older.

"It's probably because some people still like to deal with an actual person and other people only pay in cash." Andy walked toward the kiosk that had just become available.

Provenza nodded in agreement. It made perfect sense to him. "How did you figure out how to order tickets online, anyway?" He asked, genuinely curious as he leaned against the kiosk while Andy printed off their tickets.

"Nicole downloaded an app for me. It's so easy even someone as ancient as you could do it." Andy collected the tickets once they were printed and dispensed.

"Ah. Kids these days and their apps," Provenza said, ignoring Andy's dig at his age and intelligence for once.

"Yea, it's a blessing and a curse." He held the tickets in one hand, while tapping the other with them. He was scanning the area to determine which concession line was the shortest. "Let's go get you that popcorn so we can go find our seats."

Provenza continued as though Andy hadn't said anything. "Let me tell you, Flynn, we use The Facebook and The Twitter all the time these days when investigating victims and suspects. People put their _whole lives_ online. I just don't get it." When Andy suddenly started walking off in the other direction, he asked, "Are you even listening?" Apparently he wasn't because Andy just kept walking. "So much for being a gentleman," he mumbled before slightly shouting, "Flynn! Where are you going?"

Andy had spotted her across the room, a few steps away from one of the lines. It looked like she was waiting on someone. The moment he saw her, he headed in her direction. She had a package of Twizzlers in her hand. He didn't figure her for the candy type, and it made him smile. He had considered texting her to see if Jenna had gotten in touch with her over the weekend about the catering, but he knew she did, and in the end he chickened out.

Andy stopped right in front of her. "Is there anywhere in this city that you don't go, and I won't be able to run into you?" He smirked before adding, "I only ask so I can avoid those places as well."

Sharon was slightly startled by his voice, but quickly recovered with a bright smile. "Andy." She reached out and briefly touched his chest. She finally registered what he said, and responded, "I think the only places I have yet to see you at are the dry cleaners and the gallery."

"There's still time." He gave her a roguish grin.

The smile he was giving her reminded Sharon why she had wanted to text him over the weekend, but she could never think of a valid reason to do so. He had given her his number for professional reasons, at least that's what she told herself, and she didn't want to take advantage of the information for her own personal benefit. After their long conversation, she found herself wishing she could talk to Andy again. Her discussion with Rusty regarding the man had only increased that desire.

Sharon talked with her son the following day, not because she didn't trust what Andy had said, but because she wanted to hear everything from Rusty himself. He recounted the same story Andy had, but with a few extra personal details. When she asked Rusty what he thought about Andy, his response surprised her somewhat.

 _"He's a nice guy, you should give him a chance." He paused briefly before adding, "You've done a lot worse."_

Rusty usually kept his comments about Jack to himself, but it was no secret he didn't like the man. It said a lot that he deemed Andy worthy of a chance. What surprised her most was that it appeared Rusty had decided to join his siblings in pushing her toward Andy. She appreciated her children's approval to move on, though she didn't require it, but at the same time, she wished they would mind their own business. Sharon thought she was doing just fine on her own. She didn't understand their need to rush things.

"If you show up at my dry cleaners, I really will think you're stalking me," she tried to warn seriously, but couldn't suppress the smile that formed.

Andy raised his right hand. "I promise I'm not stalking you." He hooked his thumb to the left, indicating the man that had just joined them. "I'm just taking Provenza out on a hot date," he said as he waggled his eyebrows.

"You would only be so lucky," he huffed out. "And stop calling it that!"

Andy ignored him and made introductions. "Old Geezer, this is my friend Sharon." He indicated towards her with a gesture of his hand, and then he nodded his head toward the man at his side. "Sharon, this is the Old Geezer."

Sharon giggled. While she had secretly been hoping to meet the illustrious Lieutenant Provenza after hearing Andy talk about him, she wasn't sure she'd ever get the chance. Now she could see for herself if Andy had been exaggerating when describing him. If the bucket hat was anything to go by, Andy most certainly had not.

She turned to the shorter man who was frowning fiercely. "I can't tell you how happy I am to meet you. I have heard so many things." She held out her hand for him to shake.

"We seriously need to talk if you spend your time chatting up the ladies about _me_ ," he mumbled out of the side of his mouth. He reached out and grasped her hand between both of his. "Whatever he has said, it's probably not true. It's always his fault." With a pointed look towards Andy, he added, "And it's _Lieutenant Provenza_."

Sharon's eyes widened fractionally. Even though Andy had mentioned it, she still didn't expect the man to introduce himself as Lieutenant. It was then that her movie companion decided to join them.

"Ye gods, it's a small world." Provenza looked towards the ceiling before settling his gaze on the man that had come to stand next to Sharon.

"Hello, Lieutenant." Buzz tried waving around the drink cup he had in his hand.

Andy's eyebrows lifted towards his hairline. "You two know each other?"

"Sort of." Buzz turned to Sharon. "My father and uncle's case was turned over to him when Detective Harrison retired," he explained.

Buzz didn't talk about it often, but Sharon knew about his father and uncle being murdered when he was younger. He had mentioned once that he still held out hope that the murderer would be brought to justice, so he kept in contact with the detective on the case.

"Yes, now I have the pleasure of being harassed at least twice a year by young Mr. Watson here when he inquires about possible new leads," Provenza grumbled. Then in a much softer tone he added, "We haven't found any yet, but with all this new technology," he raised his hands, indicating their surrounding area to prove his point, "you never know."

What Provenza wouldn't tell him was that he handed the case over to one of his younger detectives to take a look at with fresh eyes, and she may have found something. He didn't want to give the young man false hope if it, too, led to a dead end.

"And I appreciate you taking the time to look it over," Buzz said graciously. "Especially since it wasn't originally your case."

"Don't go thinking you're special," he warned with a point of his finger. "I'm only doing my job."

"I wouldn't dream of it, sir." Buzz rolled his eyes, even though a small smile reached his face. He knew that, even though the Lieutenant liked to appear gruff, he really was a big ol' teddy bear. What the old man didn't mention was that he had called Buzz a few times on his own over the past couple of years, _just to check in._

Before Provenza could try and get the last word, Andy stepped in. "Hello, I'm Andy." He held out his hand toward the younger man.

"I'm so sorry. I was caught off-guard and didn't make proper introductions." Sharon tapped her head, chastising herself for forgetting her manners. "Andy, this is Buzz. He has worked at the gallery for many years, well before I took ownership, and probably knows the place better than I do." She smiled fondly at the young man standing next to her. "Buzz, this is my friend Andy. He owns the restaurant Sicilia."

"Ah." Buzz smiled knowingly. The last time she was at the gallery, Emily had mentioned a guy named Andy who owned a restaurant and a plan to get him and her mother together. "It's nice to finally put a face to the name." When Sharon looked at him puzzled, he simply said, "Emily."

Andy chuckled as he shook his head. The children needed to be reigned in. When Sharon appeared embarrassed to discover Emily had been talking about them, he redirected the conversation."I'd expect you to be too busy preparing for the charity art show this weekend to come to the movies."

Sharon sighed in relief that Andy didn't seem to mind her wayward daughter's loose tongue. "We have been busy, and there's still plenty left to do, but Buzz decided he needed a break," she feigned annoyance with her companion, "so here we are."

Buzz scoffed. "This break is for you as much as it is for me." He lifted his hand to his mouth as though he was telling a secret, and leaned toward Andy and Provenza. "She gets a little neurotic right before an exhibit opens," he said in a loud whisper.

"I do not," she said confidently. "I merely display an appropriate amount of concern when we are behind schedule."

Buzz rolled his eyes. "We're not behind schedule and everything looks great," he said pointedly to Sharon. He turned to the older two men. "She obsesses, and she will arrange pieces several times before putting everything back where it was originally displayed."

Deciding to not let Buzz have any more fun at her expense, she quickly changed the subject. "Andy, you said you brought Provenza on a hot date to the movies?" Her saccharine smile was contradicted by the mischievous glint in her eyes.

Andy barked out a laugh when he heard the man next to him sputtered indignantly. "Yea, he _begged_ me to take him out," he said dramatically. He gave Sharon a wink when she giggled. He very much enjoyed the fact that she initiated teasing the old grouch.

"It is _not_ a date. I don't even like going to the movies, but someone," he glared in Andy's direction, "dragged me along. I prefer to record them on my VCR so I can watch them from the comfort of my own recliner."

"Don't you mean DVR?" Buzz asked, assuming the old man was confused and got his technology abbreviations mixed up.

"No, _Buzz,_ " he emphasized the younger man's name, "I meant what I said, my V-C-R. Why would I want to pay all that extra money to my cable provider, when I already have a machine that does the same damn thing?" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

A look of shocked horror flashed across Buzz's face. "Yea, but VCRs have such horrible picture quality, and they're ancient!"

Provenza pointedly ignored Andy laughing next to him. "Just because something is _older_ ," he said with a piercing look at the younger man for his word choice, "doesn't mean it is no longer useful. Besides," he added smugly, "I also save money by reusing tapes and recording over the previous stuff when I no longer need it."

Sharon pressed her lips together to refrain from laughing. If she were not currently witnessing the exchange herself, she probably wouldn't have believed it. She was seeing first-hand that Andy had really not been exaggerating. When she turned to Andy, he was giving her a look that said ' _see what I mean_?'

While the two other men continued their debate about advantages and disadvantages of certain technology, she turned her full focus toward Andy. "I would've expected you to be working at the restaurant today."

"Occasionally I need a break from work as well," he said teasingly.

Sharon rolled her eyes and laughed softly. "He knows I'm stressing over wanting it to be perfect. It's not just a typical art show. Even though it's for charity, I still want everyone to be impressed."

"I'm sure it will look amazing and everyone who attends will be more than impressed," he said sincerely.

"Will you be coming?" Sharon asked hesitantly. There was a look of hope in her eyes.

"I will be." He smiled and nodded in affirmation. "Nicole has asked me to be her plus one."

That was an interesting conversation he had with his daughter. Andy had not realized Nicole and Emily were so close. The day after he had the long conversation with Sharon at the restaurant, Nicole had completely caught him off guard by asking how it went. Despite Nicole's best prying efforts, he didn't reveal much about their talk. It had become clear to him that Angela and Sharon's kids weren't the only ones responsible for meddling, but his daughter as well. As much as he appreciated their confidence and support, he wanted them all to butt out.

She laughed softly. It seemed Nicole was working just as hard as Emily to get the two of them together. "I'm glad you will be able to attend."

"I wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to see it," he said earnestly.

The look he was giving her insinuated he was talking about more than the art show. She looked away momentarily when she felt a blush rise to her cheeks. When she met his gaze again, he was smiling at her with one of his smiles that made her heart skip a beat.

"Sharon," Buzz interrupted, "the movie starts in five minutes. We should really go find our seats." He tilted his head in the direction they needed to go.

"Oh, I guess we should," she said in slight disappointment. She and Andy were always meeting in passing, and other than the one time, never had much time together. She turned to Andy and Provenza. "You two probably need to do the same."

Andy glanced at his watch. There was still fifteen minutes until Provenza's and his movie would start. He found himself disappointed they were not going to see the same movie. He wouldn't have minded sitting next to her. "We have a little more time, but I promised this guy a big bucket of popcorn and a giant soda," he said as though he was referring to a child. "We should probably get in line now."

"Of course," she managed a small smile. "You gentlemen enjoy your _non-date_."

"I make no promises." Andy chuckled dryly. Sharon rewarded him with a brilliant smile when he additionally said, "We will see you this weekend at the charity event."

Provenza smirked and gave a curt nod as the two left. Once there was no longer a risk of being overheard, he immediately began harassing Andy. "So, that's the girlfriend that Angela was telling me about." He displayed a look of surprised approval. "Not bad, Flynn."

"She's not my girlfriend, and I really wish you all would stop calling her that. You're gonna jinx it before I ever get the chance to ask her out!" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

"What the hell is taking you so long?" Provenza asked incredulously. "You've never had any trouble asking the ladies out before. She's obviously interested."

"It feels different with her." Andy shrugged and came to a stop at the back of the concession line. "She's not someone that you just scratch an itch with or keep around because you're lonely. Haven't you ever taken a step back to think things through so you don't screw up something that might have the potential to be more than just a fling?"

Provenza scoffed. "I have been married five times and I'm currently living with my girlfriend, whom I will most likely propose to by the end of the year," he paused to give him an incredulous look before adding, "what do you think?"

"That I'm talking to the wrong person about this," Andy said sarcastically.

Provenza smacked him on the arm. "You got that right. We are perilously close to discussing _feelings_ and we don't do that. Next thing you know we're braiding each other's hair and debating the latest fashion trends." He physically shuddered at the thought. "You'll never know if it could be something more if you don't try." He pointed a finger at Andy and shook it as he spoke. "Now pull you head out of your ass, and ask the woman out already." When he turned around, the young girl in front of him was staring. "What?"

Andy sighed heavily. He knew Provenza was right, but knowing that didn't make the situation any easier. It wasn't only his fear of making the wrong move that was holding him back. During his conversation with Nicole, he also learned just how she and Emily became so close. Andy had already known Sharon's ex was an alcoholic, but hearing that the other man was still causing problems for her kids, and most likely Sharon as well, gave Andy pause. Getting involved with another alcoholic was a substantial risk, and one she may not want to take. Andy had always been upfront with Sharon about his addiction, wanting her to know he could be trusted, but what if it wasn't enough? His mind was running in circles, and it was doing him no good. One thing was for certain, like the old man said, he wouldn't know for sure unless he tried.

-TBC-

 **A/N: I felt like we needed some Provenza and Buzz :)**

 **As always, please review because I would love to know your thoughts!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay you wonderful readers, we are down to the last two chapters! Do not fret, the story of Sharon and Andy in this AU will continue on in a sequel.**

 **I absolutely LOVE receiving your wonderful reviews, so please send me more!**

 **IReadAndWriteSometimes, you are SUPER amazing at being my beta and finishing my thoughts when I stop mid-sentence :) Thank you!**

CHAPTER TEN

Sharon was on her fifth walk-through of the gallery in the last hour. She always found herself restless right before a show, and today was no different. She told herself she was making extra sure everything was perfect, but she already knew it was. Buzz had assured her several times the night before when they called it quits.

 _"Please stop nitpicking," he pleaded. You're only going to change it back in half an hour. I promise everything looks amazing." He grasped Sharon's shoulders, and turned her toward her office so she could grab her things. "And I'm not only saying that so we can go home and get some sleep," he said with a smirk._

Buzz had walked her all the way to her car, ensuring that she did indeed leave. When she had bid him goodnight, and commented she would see him in the morning, he reminded her he would be attending a mentor workshop at UCLA. He would be out for the entire day, but he would for sure be back in the evening in time for the show. Sharon wasn't concerned last night, because like he had mentioned, everything looked perfect. However, now she was wishing she had heeded his advice, and had not let her inability to remain idle get the best of her.

During one of her morning walk-throughs, she noticed one of the media pieces looked off-center, so she moved it over just a tad. Now, she couldn't get it to turn on. Sharon couldn't call Buzz to help her fix it because, not only was he otherwise engaged for the day, but he had specifically warned her not to touch any of the installations that were electronically operated. Buzz and the artist handled those for a reason. Sharon was not as technologically savvy as she would hope.

She had a momentary meltdown, internally of course. It wouldn't do her any good to completely lose her composure. After a few minutes, she was able to collect her thoughts enough to remember she had a son who was very good with technology, and who could most likely fix her problem. An added bonus was that Buzz would never have to find out she touched anything off limits.

Sharon had texted Ricky earlier that morning. As she glanced at her watch, she noted it was now mid afternoon. It was only the knowledge that her current predicament was a result of her incessant fidgeting that kept her from attempting to try and fix it on her own. Not to mention she had no idea how to fix the problem in the first place. She glanced at her watch again, not even a minute had passed since the last time she checked, hoping she could will her son to walk through the door.

Ricky promised he would stop by the gallery well before the show started that evening, and he was confident he could help his mother fix whatever she had broken. He would've been there sooner, but he had an important business meeting to attend. Sharon had not quite completed the full walkthrough when the chime to the front door alerted her. When she rounded the corner, she sighed in relief as she watched her son walk in, along with his business partner.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here." She quickly walked toward Ricky and wrapped him in a hug.

Ricky chuckled. "Don't worry, mom, we'll get everything operational again in time for the show." He stepped back when Sharon released him from her tight hold. He hooked his thumb to the left, indicating the man that accompanied him. "I hope you don't mind that Tao came along. We rode together. If your continuous texts are anything to go by, I didn't think you could handle waiting until I dropped him off."

Ricky had begun working with Mike Tao the previous year, and in that time, Sharon had gotten to know Mike and his family quite well. When Ricky and his previous partners sold their internet-security firm, Ricky had considered staying on with the larger company. At the last minute, he found a job at a smaller firm, and he decided to move closer to home. Mike had brought Ricky on as his partner, and was genuinely interested in Ricky's thoughts and ideas. It was a smart move for Ricky. He had more autonomy in the smaller company than he ever would have had with the larger one that bought them out. Since Ricky had begun working with Mike, the two had expanded their client base to nearly twice its initial size.

"I only texted you three times." Sharon shot him a displeased look. He was going to get as much mileage out of her predicament as he could. She would only allow him to go so far. "Of course I don't mind." She stepped around Ricky to pull the other man into a hug as well. "It's good to see you again, Mike. I hope Cathy and the boys are doing well."

"They are," he said as he returned the hug. "Cathy will be joining me tonight, so you will see her then." He looked just beyond her shoulder and nodded with his head. "If you don't mind, and my help is not needed, I would love to take a look around now, before it's crowded tonight."

"Of course." Sharon stepped to the side to let him pass. "If we end up needing your help, I will come find you."

"So, show me what it is you broke so that I can fix it." Ricky feigned exasperation as though Sharon breaking things was an everyday occurrence.

Sharon rolled her eyes, but grabbed his arm to pull him along. "It's over here."

"Where is Buzz today? Doesn't he normally handle the installations that require anything electrical?" He nudged her with his elbow. "Isn't that his number one stipulation for working with you, that you don't touch them?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Sharon slumped, defeated. She couldn't disagree because her son was right. She still, however, tried to defend her actions. "It was off-center. I _needed_ to move it over some."

Ricky snorted. "When you say 'some,' do you mean about an inch? An inch that no one but you would've noticed?" He was gazing at her shrewdly. He knew his mother all too well.

"It was more like two," she mumbled. Then with more confidence she added, "It doesn't matter." She came to a stop in front of the art piece that was currently the bane of her existence. "What's done is done, and now I need you to fix it."

"Okay, mom." Ricky placated her with a pat on her shoulder.

Sharon swatted Ricky's hand away and gave him a glare, warning that she would only let him get away with so much. She may desperately need his help at the current moment, but it would do him well to remember who the child was in this relationship. Her son, however, did not heed the warning, and merely laughed at her.

Ricky crouched down and began looking over each of the cables. He hoped the issue was a simple matter of one them coming loose. There were more than he expected, all plugged into a large power strip, and they were a jumbled mess. After confirming they were all plugged into the power strip correctly, he carefully followed each cord to their prospective ports within the structure.

"Hmm." Ricky leaned back on his heels with a puzzled look on his face.

"What?" Sharon asked concerned.

"Everything seems to be plugged in properly," he said in a thoughtful tone as he contemplated his next step.

Ricky picked up the power strip to double check that it was switched on. When he lifted it, he heard a small thunk further along the wall. He followed the cord to the outlet, and he found it unplugged. Ricky shook his head. Of course it would be something so simple. It didn't surprise him that his mother didn't think to check if it was still plugged in after she moved it. When he attempted to insert the plug back into the outlet, he realized the cord didn't quite reach. The plug was probably just barely sitting in the outlet when he picked up the power strip, pulling it the rest of the way out.

He looked up to find Sharon standing right behind him. "You're going to have to move the piece back. You unplugged it when you moved it over _two inches_ , and now the cord doesn't reach _._ "

Sharon pressed her lips into a thin line in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. It should've been the first thing she checked, but the thought never crossed her mind. It would've saved her so much anguish, and Ricky the trip.

"Oh," was all she managed to say.

Ricky rolled his eyes, but still smiled. "Yea, oh." He stood and moved back to the installation. "Come on, let's move it back so we can plug it in again."

After they moved the structure back over the couple of inches, Sharon plugged it in again and clapped in joy when everything lit up. "Yay! I didn't ruin it."

Ricky laughed and threw his arm over his mother's shoulder. "Nope, you just unplugged it." He turned to her with a smirk. "This is why Buzz doesn't like for you to touch anything that requires electricity."

Sharon lightly smacked his chest. "Be kind to your mother. It's been a stressful week."

"Holy crap!" Mike exclaimed from the opposite end of the gallery.

Sharon felt panic settle heavily in her stomach. Hadn't she just checked the displays fifteen minutes earlier and everything had looked perfect? She and Ricky quickly moved in the direction the shout had come from. They found Mike Tao standing in front of one of the installations with a look of abhorrence on his face.

"Who would do something like this?" he lamented.

Sharon searched around the installation to see if something had malfunctioned or had been broken off. She was finding nothing wrong. She looked toward Ricky questioningly, hoping he could enlighten her on what the issue was. She found her son barely managing to stifle his laughter.

When he composed himself, Ricky finally responded. "It's called art, Tao. Artists like to use various mediums to construct their masterpieces. That sometimes includes unconventional items such as," a snort managed to escape him, "electronic devices."

"It's like someone took a sledgehammer to everything and slapped the pieces together with some glue." Mike said in disgust as he continued to eye the fixture skeptically. "There are so many pieces. Why?" He all but whispered the last word.

"That's probably exactly what the artist did, buddy." Ricky gave him an encouraging slap on the shoulder.

Sharon had to momentarily turn away from the two men as she, too, composed herself. Ricky had mentioned a few times just how passionate his partner was about technology. He even warned her that if Tao were asked a simple question, the man would provide the most detailed answer possible, leaving you with more information than needed. Other than the man's despair over the destruction of numerous electronics during the creation process, Sharon was relieved there was nothing _actually_ wrong with it.

When she had her laughter under control, Sharon turned back around to hopefully assuage Mike's dismay. "The young artist who created this particular piece wanted to depict how technology has consumed our lives, and how we rely on our electronic devices so much, they often define us. Our bodies and mind are consumed by them." Sharon picked up the placard that contained information about the piece and offered it to Mike so he could read it for himself. "The artist set up a donation box for people to drop off their old, broken, and unusable electronics. He made sure to clarify that all donations would be used to support homeless youth," she explained in an attempt to alleviate some of his concerns.

Mike was slowly nodding while Sharon explained, but he still had the same distraught expression on his face, even as he turned to her and said, "I think I want it." He turned back and considered the piece again. "Yea, I want it," he said more confidently. "I think it would look great in the lobby of the company office, don't you think, Ricky?" He turned to the young man with an expectant look on his face.

Ricky was momentarily caught off-guard. It was the last thing he expected his partner to say. "Sure, man. We can find a spot for it." He turned so Tao couldn't see his face and gave his mother a look that said, ' _is he serious right now?'_

Sharon covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. When she had it under control she reached out and patted Mike on the back. "The piece is up for silent auction tonight, but I'm sure we can work something out for you."

Mike shrugged off the offer. "I will be here tonight and I will bid on it like everyone else. I just have to make sure I win it," he said with a resolute nod of his head. He then turned to Ricky. "We should go. We have a contract to draw up."

Ricky agreed with a nod of his head. "Need me to plug in anything else?" he asked Sharon teasingly.

"No, I didn't touch anything else," Sharon deadpanned.

"Please continue to refrain from doing so," he quipped. "I'm not sure I can make it back here in time to fix anything else." Ricky laughed and sidestepped to avoid the light slap that his mother had aimed at his arm.

After she walked the two men to the door, Sharon decided to do one more walkthrough to ease her mind. When she was once again confident that everything did indeed look perfect, she walked back to her office to hopefully distract her mind for the next few hours until the show.

. . .

The show was well underway, and everything had been running smoothly. Quite the crowd had accumulated, and for every attendee that made an exit, it seemed someone new would walk in. Several people had made bids at the bidding table throughout the night, as well as people just placing direct donations into the designated box. Sharon had a feeling that by the end of the night, a significant amount would be raised for the shelter.

It was next to the bidding table that Sharon encountered the Taos. Mike was periodically checking to see if anyone had outbid him on the piece he wanted. She didn't understand how the man could be simultaneously appalled by the work, and desire to own it as well. Sharon spent a few minutes catching up with Cathy and inquiring about their sons. When Cathy mentioned wanting to take another look around, her husband was reluctant to leave his spot next to the table. Only once Sharon assured Mike that she would contact him if a higher bid was placed, and that she would allow him to make the final offer, did he agree to walk around with his wife.

Once she parted ways with the Tao's, Sharon continued to casually stroll through the gallery making small talk with those that she knew and anyone who approached her. She had received many compliments, not only for putting the exhibit together, but for the food selection as well. She wanted to relay those compliments to Andy, and even though it was a few hours into the show, Sharon had yet to see him. Though it was difficult, she tried to refrain from feeling disappointed. There was still about an hour and a half left before it ended, leaving time for him to make an appearance.

Sharon located Julio and a few kids from the shelter and made her way toward them. She noticed the kids seemed to be wearing newer clothes and smiled inwardly when she realized Julio must've got them just for this occasion. He was always going above and beyond for his kids, and she truly admired him for it.

"Ma'am," Julio addressed her with a curt nod.

Sharon forwent the formal greeting and pulled him into a hug. "It's good to see you, Julio."

Julio was stunned by the gesture and didn't get the chance to reciprocate the hug before Sharon pulled away. "Uhhh, thank you, ma'am."

"Your group is looking quite nice this evening," Sharon acknowledged the small group of teenagers that were surrounding one of the servers.

"They are," Julio agreed proudly. "Just in case they forget to tell you, they are really excited to be here, and thankful to you for doing this." He laughed, and then nodded his head toward them. "And they really like the mini pizzas."

Sharon laughed quietly. "I will pass the compliments on to the chef if I see him."

As she was talking with Julio, she caught sight of Emily talking with Nicole. Andy had mentioned he was her plus one, but when Sharon looked around, she was unable to locate him. She politely excused herself, and started toward the girls.

Nicole spotted Sharon walking toward them, and when she approached, the younger woman stepped forward and unexpectedly wrapped Sharon in a tight hug. "Everything looks fabulous, Sharon. You did an amazing job pulling it together."

When Nicole pulled back, Sharon grasped her upper arms. "Thank you, but it was not all me. I had some help."

Ricky had joined their group. "Yea, I helped plug things in," he quipped.

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him. Ricky had been telling the story to anyone who would listen, including Buzz. She was not pleased with her oldest son at the moment. Sharon returned her focus back to Nicole. "Pay no attention to him. Ricky thinks he's funnier than he actually is." Sharon ignored the scoff that came from next to her. "I'm so glad you could make it. Your father mentioned earlier this week that you two were coming together." Sharon spoke in an even tone, hoping not to appear as desperate as she felt.

Nicole's smile faltered. "I would've been here sooner actually, but I was waiting on Dad. He got caught up at work," she said on a sigh. "The scheduled chef called in, and there was no one else to cover for him. I waited as long as I could," she shrugged her shoulders, "but Dad told me to just come without him. There were a few large parties that had reservations for tonight, so he was needed to stick around."

"It's okay. I understand completely. I'm just glad that you could make it." Sharon attempted to hide her disappointment with a smile. She had a feeling she was not so successful when Nicole responded with a look of sympathy.

Nicole reached out and squeezed Sharon's hand. "Dad was really upset about being stuck at work. He _really_ wanted to come tonight." Then reassuringly she added, "He said he would still stop by if he got out before the show ended."

Sharon took a quick look at her watch. There was about an hour left until they had planned to close the doors. "There's still some time," she said, talking more to herself than Nicole. When she looked back up, she was confident she succeeded this time in displaying a convincing smile. "I'm going to continue to mingle. Do say goodbye before you leave. Okay?"

At Nicole's nod, she walked away, intent on finding a distraction from the sadness she was feeling. Sharon didn't blame Andy. She knew things like this happened. Rescheduling plans is always a possibility when you own your own business. Knowing that, however, didn't lessen the twinge of disappointment she felt.

. . .

It was an hour and a half after the show had ended, all the guests had cleared out, and the caterers had packed everything up and left as well. Sharon and Buzz were sitting in her office taking care of a few tasks that could not wait until Monday. She was locking the donations that had been made directly into the safe, while Buzz flipped through the bidding sheets, pulling out those, if any, that did not have bids. She and Buzz would need to contact the winners at the beginning of the week to settle payments and delivery plans of the pieces they purchased.

Even though the event was a huge success, she still found herself feeling a little bummed that Andy was unable to show. She felt he deserved a portion of the accolades she received this evening since many were comments on the food. Sharon was hoping to pass them along in person, but she may have to settle on simply giving him a call.

Buzz interrupted her internal reverie. "You okay?" he asked suddenly. He didn't wait for her to respond before continuing. "Despite your best attempts to sabotage the show by messing with things you shouldn't," he said with a mischievous look that said he wouldn't forget about the incident anytime soon, "I think everything went great. Julio will be so pleased when he finds out just how much we raised. " He nodded towards the papers in his hands. "I'm honestly surprised myself."

Sharon managed a light chuckle. She held her hands up in surrender. "I promise I have learned my lesson. I will stay far away from anything electrical." In a much softer tone she added, "It was amazing. Thank you, Buzz." She walked around the desk to where he was sitting and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "As always, I couldn't have done it without you."

Buzz responded with a bashful smile. "I love working with you. It's truly a pleasure." He gathered the papers he had been sifting through and handed them to her.

"Likewise," she said as she collected them. "I think it was one of our best shows."

Buzz nodded as he stood. "I agree." He collected his jacket from the back of the chair. "If you don't mind," he said as he slipped his arms through the sleeves, "I'm going to head out. It's been a long," he dragged out the word, "week."

Sharon responded with a knowing smile. "Indeed it has. Go ahead," she gave a wave of her hand, "I will be following behind you shortly."

Once Sharon cleared her desk, she gathered her purse and jacket, along with the to-go container of food she had put aside for herself, and headed toward the door. Her office was at the back of the gallery, and as she approached the front she could hear Buzz talking to someone.

"You're a little late. The show ended about two hours ago."

Sharon's steps faltered when she recognized the voice of the second person.

"Yea, I tried to get here sooner, but it didn't work out. Is Sharon around?"

Sharon rounded the corner just as Buzz replied. "She's back in the offi-, never mind. She's right there." He pointed in her direction as she continued walking toward the two men. When Buzz saw the looks that were exchanged between the two, he didn't even bother hanging around. "I'll see you two later," he said as he walked out the door.

"Andy," she said with a wide smile when she stopped just in front of him. "You made it."

Andy scoffed, but still managed to smile just as brightly in response. "Well not really, the show is over." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "I finally got out of work and figured I'd swing by, you know," he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "just in case you were still here."

-TBC-

 **A/N: I know, I'm evil for leaving y'all hanging like this, but I promise it won't be for long. The final chapter is in the editing phase, and should be posted in the next day or two! Please let me know what you think about this one!**


	11. Chapter 11

**As promised, here is the final chapter to this story. Don't be too sad about it ending here, because I will be back for more in a sequel!**

 **I love hearing your thoughts/suggestions in the reviews, so please continue to do so.**

 **Thank you IReadAndWriteSometimes for being the amazing beta that you are. This story would not have been possible without you.**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

 _"Andy," she said with a wide smile when she stopped in front of him. "You made it."_

 _Andy scoffed, but still managed to smiles just a brightly in response. "Well, not really, the show is over." He gave her an apologetic shrug. "I finally got out of work and figured I'd swing by, you know," he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, "just in case you were still here."_

"I'm glad you stopped by," she ducked her head momentarily before looking back up at him with a sweet smile and a shrug, "just in case."

Andy stood there for a moment longer just grinning at her until he remembered the item he brought with him. "This is for you." He lifted the purple orchid from where it was tucked under his arm. "I don't know the proper etiquette for giving gifts at an art show, or if there even is such a thing." He shrugged a single shoulder. "I tried to look it up, but I found nothing helpful whatsoever. Most of what I came across mentioned what to give the artist of the show, not the gallery owner." Andy had begun rambling and speaking rather quickly. "Arriving empty handed, however, just didn't seem right. I considered flowers, but thought that might be cliché. Then I saw this, and I don't know why, but I thought of you." He rubbed the tip of his chin. "Now, as I stand here, I'm second guessing myself because not only is this technically still a flower, but it's one that requires long-term care," his brow furrowed, "and you might not appreciate that."

Andy finally stopped talking, and he looked up at Sharon when he heard her giggle. He gave her a sheepish grin and shrugged his shoulders as though to say _'I know I'm over thinking this.'_

Sharon thought about interrupting to reassure him sooner, but she found his rambling rather endearing, and decided it was best to let him continue. She stepped forward to take the plant, but realized her hands were full between the to-go food container, her jacket, and her purse. She turned around, and took a few steps toward the front desk to lay the items on top of it. When she turned back around, she found that he had followed her, and was standing right behind her.

"Andy-" Sharon shook her head as she collected her thoughts. She was really touched by the gesture. "Giving gifts is not expected, but do know that it is _very_ much appreciated."

Sharon reached out to grab the orchid, but instead found herself running a hand down the front of his tie, and she gave it a light tug when she reached the bottom. She realized he must've changed after work. She recalled how much she appreciated the sight of Andy in a suit and suspenders at the ballet, and she concluded that memory did not do reality justice. Sharon returned her gaze back to his face, and found Andy smiling curiously at her. When he quirked a single eyebrow at her, she continued to keep one hand on his tie, and used the other to take the plant from his grasp.

Sharon continued speaking as though she had not just been teasing him. "I happen to love orchids," she paused, looking up at him through her lashes, before coyly adding, "much more than just flowers." She gave his tie one more tug before finally releasing it.

Andy cleared his throat before rasping out, "That's good to know."

Sharon smiled to herself, appreciating that she was able to disarm him as easily as he did her. "I don't mind taking care of them long term," she said genuinely. Reaching up, she ran a finger along a petal as she admired it. "This will be an excellent addition to the one I already have in my office." She then turned and set it on the front desk, and began maneuvering the pot from side to side, determining where it looked best. "Or I might want to leave it up here for everyone to see." She glanced over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at him.

Andy chuckled at Sharon's audacity. He found her confidence to be incredibly attractive. He made a mental note to add that to the list of favorite things he liked about her. She seemed to be pulling out all the stops to this little flirting game they have had going on during their random encounters. _'Game on,'_ he thought.

Andy walked up and stood right next to her, brushing his arm against her shoulder in the process. "I shouldn't offer up my opinion because I am no good with interior decorating," he reached up and covered her hand with his, moving the pot over just a touch, before removing his hand again, "but it looks great right here."

Sharon could not contain her smile when she realized he wasn't intending to back down either. She moved the plant back the fraction of an inch from where he had moved it. "How was work?" She glanced up sideways at him.

Andy threw his head back and groaned. When he righted himself again, he looked down at her with a bland expression. "I may have lost my cool, and taken my frustrations out on the kitchen staff. I will be making it up to them all of next week," he said, the irritation still evident in his tone. Then much more casually he added, "Other than that, it was a typical work day."

"Have a bit of a temper, do we?" Sharon arched a single eyebrow at him.

"I've been known to blow a gasket or two in the past," Andy said nonchalantly. "I've learned to manage it better in recent years. Some days, however," he shrugged, not needing to finish the thought.

"What tipped you over the edge this time?" Sharon smiled up at him mischievously. "Did the sous chef touch your knives?" she teased.

Andy didn't even crack a smile at her small joke. "I promised my friend I would attend her gallery's art show, then I bailed at the last minute," he said sincerely. "I've been the flaky guy in the past. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes." Andy looked at her with genuine regret.

Sharon's expression softened. "Andy," she slightly shook her head, "your friend understands that you didn't just bail. You have responsibilities that have to come first." She reached up and squeezed his arm. "Besides, you still made an effort, and you're here now. That's what matters."

Andy placed one of his hands on top of hers that still rested on his arm. "I told you," he gave her hand a small squeeze, "I wouldn't want to miss it." He punctuated his statement with a wink, indicating he was talking about more than missing the exhibit.

"Well," Sharon said, drawing out the word, "you missed out on all the compliments I received regarding your food selection. The guests almost seemed to like the food better than the exhibit." She raised her hand and her thumb and forefinger were an inch apart. "Just almost."

"Oh yea?" Andy said teasingly. "Is that why you have some confiscated away for yourself?" He nodded toward the to-go container sitting next to her purse.

Sharon shook her head. "Actually, I haven't tried anything yet. I was far too nervous to eat earlier." She laughed mirthlessly. "I have it on good authority that the mini baguette pizzas are particularly tasty. I had to snatch me a couple before the kids ate them all."

Andy barked out a laugh. "I got the idea from my step-grandsons. They love those bagel bites things, but I can't in good conscience bring myself to buy and heat up frozen food." He shuddered at the thought. "So we created our own mini pizzas one night. They were a hit."

"They were a hit tonight, too," Sharon confirmed.

"I'm happy to hear it. I'm glad we were able to help you out and provide our catering services." He had his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. "I assume Jenna organized everything okay?" Andy inquired.

Sharon nodded emphatically. "More than okay. I've never had catering for shows go so smoothly. She was magnificent," she exclaimed. "Oh!" She shot a finger into the air as she remembered something. "That reminds me, Jenna was confused when I asked her about settling the bill. She told me to take it up with you. If you could have that sent over to me, I will take care of it immediately."

A frown crossed Andy's face. "There is no bill. Everything's been settled."

Sharon's eyes narrowed. "Andy," there was a tint of warning in her voice, "how can it be settled if I haven't paid for anything?"

"I thought this was for charity?" Andy countered with a puzzled look on his face.

"It is," Sharon said slowly, trying to figure out where Andy was going with this. "All proceeds and donations will go to the youth shelter."

"And the catering service is a donation," he said as though it was obvious.

"Andy, I can't let you do that," she said more loudly than expected. "You already did enough by helping out last minute."

Andy reached out and grasped Sharon's shoulders in an attempt to calm her. "Sharon, when I offered our services, I honestly thought that was the plan all along. I thought that's how these charity things," he released her shoulders and pointed to one of the programs that was lying on the desk, "worked. You get businesses to provide different services like free food and advertising."

"I was able to get the local paper to advertise for me, yes, but that's it." She shrugged. "I honestly didn't think to ask for food donations."

Andy's confusion continued to increase. "Wasn't the previous guy planning on donating the food before he backed out?"

"Umm... no," Sharon said quietly. "James will sometimes offer me a discount, but I generally have a bill at the end of the show."

"That's-" Andy shook his head and stopped himself from insulting a man he didn't know. "Sharon, when you mentioned a charity event, I just assumed." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh," was all Sharon managed to say.

She hadn't known him for very long, but Sharon found herself continually surprised by the generosity of Andy Flynn. She was intrigued by it, and curious if there was a particular reason for his incredibly charitable nature.

"Please accept this as it was intended." Andy pleaded. "There was never a bill to settle because it was for the kids at the shelter," he said sincerely.

"Andy, it is so unbelievably kind of you to do that without being asked." She reached out and ran her hand along his tie again. "Thank you."

"Like I said," he shrugged, not wanting her to think he had ulterior motives, "it's for the shelter. I'm just sad I missed everything else."

"Would you still like to see it?" Sharon gestured behind her.

"Only if you're my tour guide." Andy held out his arm to her and looked at her expectantly.

Sharon looped her arm through his. "I'd be happy to show you around."

. . .

Sharon couldn't remember the last time someone besides her children made her laugh so much. The two spent the next hour, twice as long as needed, walking through and discussing the exhibits. Andy created a game where he would get three guesses to determine what the more abstract pieces depicted. When Sharon asked what his reward for being correct would be, he responded with a shrug of his shoulders, _"I'm a man. Bragging rights will suffice."_ He then gave her one of those grins that made her weak in the knees. She had no choice but to agree to the terms of his silly game.

More often than not, he made ridiculous guesses that where intended to make her laugh, and she indeed laughed. There were a few times, however, when they came across a piece that was obviously more emotionally evoking, particularly those on canvas, and he offered more serious, thoughtful suggestions. Sharon appreciated that, just as easily as he could make her laugh with his goofy sense of humor, he could also express his more vulnerable and sensitive side. She never felt that he used humor to disguise his insecurities. With Andy, it seemed that 'what you see is what you get.'

When they had made it back around to the front of the gallery, Andy stopped, and turned toward a fire extinguisher that was hanging on the wall. Sharon thought it was a complete eye sore, and hated that it was out in the open, but it was a part of some safety code that an extinguisher must be accessible within one hundred feet. It was not the only one she had in the building.

"This one," Andy said while trying to maintain a straight face, "this piece is my favorite. The artist is making a bold statement with his, or her, use of the color red. I have a feeling this one is called 'You Only Think You're Hot.'"

Sharon snorted and then turned her face into his shoulder as she continued laughing. Andy looked down at her, waiting for her to compose herself. He had quickly decided that hearing Sharon laugh was his new favorite thing, especially when it included a snort. When Sharon finally looked up at him, she had such a look of adoration on her face it caused Andy's breath to hitch. He admired the way the sheen in her eyes enhanced the already striking green of her eyes. It was another one of his new favorite things.

"I like watching you laugh," Andy said as he continued to take in every detail of her smiling features.

"Hmm," Sharon hummed in response (Andy also added that to his list of favorite things). Her smile softened when she said, "You make it easy to laugh."

Andy's look turned pensive. He reached out and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen in her face and tucked it behind her ear. A small smile reached his face when he heard Sharon's breath hitch. He decided it was now or never.

"I want to take you out sometime. Soon." Andy said it in a rush. He figured the quicker he asked, the quicker he would get an answer. "On a date," he clarified.

"Okay," Sharon simply responded. She didn't think her smile could get any bigger.

"Okay?" Andy asked slightly surprised. Despite all signs indicating she would say 'yes', or 'okay' apparently, he was still caught off guard. There were enough similarities between his and her ex's past that he wouldn't blame her if she chose to not act on their obvious attraction.

"Okay," Sharon confirmed with a squeeze of his arm that she still clung to.

"Okay then." Andy let out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.

The goofiest grin encompassed his entire face, and it caused Sharon to giggle. She was pleased to know that he was just as happy with this new development as she was. Andy brought with him such joy and a lightness that had been lacking in her previous relationships. She was looking forward to seeing how this attraction between them developed.

"Do you need my number so that we can make plans?" Sharon inquired. She had given him her card with her cell number, but she wasn't sure if Andy got the hint.

"Umm, no," Andy said guiltily. "I kept the card you intended for me to give to Jenna." He patted his breast pocket as though the card was still where he placed it in his chef jacket.

"It wasn't intended for Jenna," Sharon said pointedly. She gave him look that said _'I was hoping you'd use it yourself.'_

Andy rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Yea, I didn't want to make any assumptions." He shrugged. "I promise to now put it to good use and contact you soon." He winked, and then added, "And by soon, I mean tomorrow."

Sharon laughed softly. "I look forward to it."

Andy let out a deep sigh and looked at his watch. "I hate to end this evening, but it's late."

Sharon also looked at her watch and her eyes widened. "Oh." She was surprised to see just how much time had passed. "I'm sure the kids are starting to wonder where I am."

"Can I walk you to your car?" Andy asked as he motioned a hand towards the door. He wanted to extend their time together as long as possible.

"Sure." Sharon ran her hand down his arm that she was still grasping. When she reached his hand, she gave it a squeeze before letting go. She was just as reluctant for the time to end. "Just let me collect my things." She nodded toward the front desk.

When they reached the front desk, Sharon reached in her purse to pull out her phone. Sure enough there were several messages from Rusty and Emily. She quickly typed out a response telling them she was headed home.

When Sharon looked up at Andy, she rolled her eyes. "My children seem to forget who the parent is in our relationship."

Andy chuckled as he reached for her jacket. "They worry about you. It's sweet."

Sharon was going to mention how she could take care of herself, but was caught off guard when Andy held up the jacket for her to slip her arms through. She quickly recovered though, and stepped forward to do so. When she turned back around to face him, she reached up and patted his chest in appreciation. Andy gave her a wink before holding out a hand indicating for her to go first.

Sharon grabbed the rest of her items and headed towards the door. Andy immediately fell into step with her and gently rested a hand against the small of her back. Sharon felt a flutter in her stomach as a result of the innocent touch. She ducked her head to hide the smile that graced her lips. She was beginning to appreciate Andy's chivalric side more and more.

As they approached Sharon's car, she clicked the button on the key fob to unlock it. When she turned to face him, her goodbye was cut off when Andy stepped forward and placed a soft, lingering kiss to her cheek.

When Andy straightened, he couldn't help but chuckle at the surprised expression on Sharon's face. He reached past her and opened her car door. "Good night, Sharon," he said softly.

The sound of Andy's voice drew Sharon from her stupor. She lifted a hand and briefly touched the cheek where his lips had just been. She bashfully smiled up at him. "Goodnight, Andy." She reached out and gave his tie one final tug before taking a seat in her car and shutting the door.

Andy stepped back when she started the engine and gave her a small wave. He couldn't contain the grin that erupted across his face as she drove away. It would probably remain on his face for the rest of the night, if not longer. This was the first time he watched her leave and he didn't feel disappointment at not knowing if or when he would see her again. Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough. He would call her to set up their first official date.

-THE END-

 **A/N: Thank you all for sticking with me this long! I hope you will catch up with these two in the sequel that I will work on posting soon. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought about this story.**


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